?"God¡¯s Unending Favor"
¡°Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. ¡±? ¡ª1 Timothy 6:6?
Without question there is more joy in the Christian life than in any other life.
Jesus said, ¡°Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief¡¯s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life¡± (John 10:9¨C10 NLT).
But the rich and satisfying life that Jesus spoke of consists of more than mere happiness. And it isn¡¯t necessarily a long life, though it may be. Nor is it a life that is free from sorrow, heartache, and tragedy, because even Christians experience all of that.
Some people have the idea that Christians are supposed to be constantly smiling and laughing. But that isn¡¯t the abundant life. There are times to laugh, of course, but there are also times to mourn (see Ecclesiastes 3:1¨C8).
The life that Jesus wants to give us is the contented life. And this contentment comes from the knowledge that the Good Shepherd is always looking out for our best interests. It is His great joy.
The psalmist David wrote, ¡°The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength¡± (Psalm 23:1¨C3 NLT).
Have you ever gone to the beach and watched the constant crashing of the waves on the shore? It goes on all day and all night. Granted, some waves are better than others, as surfers would attest. But the waves keep coming and never stop.
That is a picture of the rich and satisfying life Jesus spoke of. It¡¯s a life in which we¡¯re content knowing that God¡¯s grace is more than sufficient for our needs, that nothing can suppress it, and that God¡¯s favor toward us is unending.
Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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*OUR REASON FOR LIVING! Philippians 1:21
¡°For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
A proud father was introducing his four-year-old daughter to his boss, the Mayor of the city. The young girl was known to be precocious, but her father thought she would be awed as she was introduced to this high city official.
As the Mayor bowed down and politely extended his hand to the young girl, he said, "Hi, I am the Mayor.¡± The young girl looked straight into his eyes and asked, "Why?¡± The Mayor was stunned to silence by the question and quickly moved on to the next group of constituents.
Back in his office the Mayor mulled over the girl's innocent question. He was a Christian and was left to ponder the wisdom that this young child had confronted him with. Why was he doing the things he did? He always tried to be the best person and the best Mayor he could be, but was that enough?
As he bowed and began to pray, Philippians 1:21 entered his memory. That was the answer! He had to live for Christ in the words he spoke and in the things he did. In that quiet moment in his office, the Mayor determined that he would have an answer to why he did what he did . . . it would be to honor and glorify Jesus. Why do you do the things you do?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God knows that sin will steal our potential and kill the plans that He has for us. His desire is for us to stop sin before it stops us. Thoughts of sin lead to action. We must confess them to Jesus before they can conceive sin. Bring them out and show them to the Lord because He is the only One Who can do anything with our sin. He is faithful and will not banish us from the family of God. He is fair and understands the temptations with which we struggle because He was tempted the same. His blood cleanses us from every sin. When our children play outside after the rain, they often come inside caked with mud. They hold up their dirty hands to say, ¡°Look!¡± As loving parents, we lead them to the sink and wash them clean. God invites us to come freely to Him. When we hold up our sins and confess, ¡°Dad, look what I have done,¡± He welcomes us with mercy, grace, and love. He washes us with the water of His Word and His shed Blood. When we are clean, He wraps us up in His robe of righteousness. Though our sins are like scarlet, He washes us whiter than snow (Isaiah 1:18). May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May the God of mercy, grace, and love wash you clean and clothe you in His righteousness. In Christ, may you experience freedom from all condemnation. He remembers your sins no more because of the shed Blood of Jesus¡ Amen. 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. ?
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Receive The Gift Of Salvation
Receive The Gift Of Salvation Mark 10:21 'Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.' MARK 10:21-27 Notice that the scripture makes special mention of Jesus loving this rich young ruler. This is stated after this young man said he had kept all of God's commands, which was not the truth. Jesus was showing him that he had broken the very first commandment that states, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' (Ex. 20:3), and also the tenth commandment that says, 'Thou shalt not covet...' (Ex. 20:17). Jesus' tough answer of 'sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor' was not intended to hurt this young man. It was said from a heart of love and intended for his own good. This man's money had become his god and it had to be dethroned before Jesus could become Lord. The one thing this young man lacked was faith in Jesus as his Savior. This young ruler was trusting in his goodness and not in the salvation that Jesus offered as a gift. Millions of people are making the same mistake today. They trust in themselves instead of God. Jesus only came to save sinners. Unless an individual acknowledges that he is a sinner, he cannot be saved. Because the whole world is guilty before God, He has provided one way of salvation for everyone. In the same way that everyone is guilty, everyone also has been justified freely by God's grace. That does not mean everyone is saved. Everyone has had the sacrificial offering of Jesus made for their sins by grace but grace alone doesn't save. We have to put faith in what God has provided for us by grace. Although the price has been paid for the sins of the whole world, only those who receive it by faith will benefit from the salvation that Jesus offers. 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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I wrote this just a few moments ago but I felt so compelled to share this because I KNOW THERE IS AT LEAST ONE PERSON that needs to hear this!!! When we all appear before the Lord Jesus, every single one of us is going to be held accountable for what we did and what we didn¡¯t do to others and for others. (MATTHEW 25:31-46) I have been trying to get this family together ever since my brother passed in 2021 and there are ALWAYS excuses! The Lord is going to remind us of EVERY SINGLE TIME WE MADE AN EXCUSE AND ASK US ¡°WHY?¡± I did the same thing, with my dad, my brother and my sister, as well as others, years ago, so I¡¯m just as guilty as every one else ¡ with that being said ¡ How are we supposed to be His servants and His witnesses and showing His love to the world if we can¡¯t even do it in our own family?! I love each and every member of this family! Always have and always will! But I am very disappointed as well! When my brother passed this family became angry and bitter and divided! Just what satan wanted! I want this family to get together one last time before we are raptured out of here! I have a sad feeling that some, if not most, won¡¯t be leaving with us! Hearts are bitter and selfish and distant from each other. If we can¡¯t get over offense and ourselves, and love one another like the Lord Jesus loves, we may ALL be left behind! LORD HAVE MERCY ON US ALL!!!
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2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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~IF THE STONES COULD SPEAK~
~IF THE STONES COULD SPEAK~ The Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples, when they heard them praising him and saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" "And he answered and said unto them, 'I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.'" (Luke 19:40) If believers do not praise God, Jesus said, "The stones would cry out against them. But, we might ask, how can the rocks cry out? What would they say? Have you ever thought about these words of Jesus? He, who was God in the flesh, said stones would cry out against us, if we failed to praise him! I, for one, don't want a rock crying out for me! I'm sure you don't either. We were created to praise and worship him and were given a more abundant life, through His grace. We have so much for which to be thankful. If the stones could speak, they would declare the Creator who made them. Yet, sometimes we don't even speak of the one who made us anew! The stones would speak of ages ago, and the stages of God's marvelous handiwork in their design and creation. But, some people don't even tell of the great work God has done for his church. God took us from the quarry of life and changed us into living temples, fit for a King! But, not just any king, the King of glory, who is the King of all kings! We were once as a stone also, but not the living stones as we are today. We were without spiritual life. Yet, now, we praise Him and give thanks. He broke our hearts of stone with the hammer of His Word and recreated us anew. The smooth stones show us He polished and fashioned them fit to be a palace! We can tell of our Architect and Creator, the Chief Cornerstone, who holds all of the other lively stones together of the temple Christ is still building. If the stones could speak, they might tell us how many times they had been rolled to be used for memorials to God, made into monuments, or for altars of prayer. The two tablets of the Law cried out against us. But, our blessed Lord, who rolled away the stone from his tomb, speaks out for us! The stones might well cry out, if we didn¡¯t praise Him. But, believers can never allow them to do so! Their noise is silenced, when we begin to sing, glorify, and praise the Lord. He's the name above all names, worthy of all praise! "How great is our God! We proclaim His majesty in worship, praise, and our lifestyle. Only He could make old things brand new. He is the Rock of Ages we can run to and safely hide from the problems of life until the storm passes by. Blessed be our Lord who lives forever more. The stones of his tomb would say, "they could not hold him and the devil could not control them." He broke the seal over death, rolled the stone away, and walked out victorious, waiting to walk into our lives. We refuse to let the stones cry out for us. +(?`v??)+ .`?.?.?? ¡ï Blessings in Christ, Jo Ann P.Kelly-2023/2016 ¡î.??.?*¡§*??.??.¡î.??.?*¡§*??.??.¡î +J. P's Inspirations+ ¡î.??.?*¡§*??.??.¡î.??.?*¡§*??.??.¡î
?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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God¡¯s Eternal Church
The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 kjv Ephesians 2:14¨C22
¡°Is church over?¡± asked a young mother arriving at our church with two children in tow just as the Sunday service was ending. But a greeter told her that a church nearby offered two Sunday services and the second would start soon. Would she like a ride there? The young mother said yes and seemed grateful to travel the few blocks to the other church. Reflecting later, the greeter came to this conclusion: ¡°Is church over? Never. God¡¯s church goes on forever.¡±
The church isn¡¯t a fragile ¡°building.¡± It¡¯s the faithful family of God who are ¡°members of his household,¡± wrote Paul, ¡°built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit¡± (Ephesians 2:19¨C22).
Jesus Himself established His church for eternity. He declared that despite challenges or troubles facing His church, ¡°the gates of hell shall not prevail against it¡± (Matthew 16:18 kjv).
Through this empowering lens, we can see our local churches¡ªall of us¡ªas a part of God¡¯s universal church, being built ¡°in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!¡± (Ephesians 3:21).
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY What about your local church makes you grateful?? How can you help God¡¯s universal church grow?
As a part of Your church, dear Jesus, keep building me in You.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Ephesians 2:14¨C22 is theologically rich. Like a cord of three strands, the passage brings together three key doctrines of the Christian faith: teaching about Christ (Christology), the church (Ecclesiology), and the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology). Jesus, through His reconciling work, is the source of our peace with God (vv. 14, 16) and through Him two disparate groups¡ªJew and gentile¡ªhave become one new humanity (vv. 14¨C15). The church is indeed one body and a new family (vv. 14¨C18) ¡°built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone¡± (v. 20). The Holy Spirit has been and is at work in forming and sustaining the church. He facilitates our decision for salvation (v. 18) and indwells the church that Jesus is building (v. 22).
Arthur Jackson
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Exodus 30
Much of Exodus 30 is focused on an important aspect of tabernacle worship: the altar of incense (Ex. 30:1¨C10) and the recipe for the incense that would be burned on the altar (Ex. 30:34¨C38). After teaching the law and offering sacrifices, burning incense was the most important aspect of a priest¡¯s duties before Yahweh and on behalf of the people of Israel (Deut. 33:10).
The Altar of Incense was placed in the Holy Place, just in front of the veil that would lead to the Most Holy Place (Ex. 30:6). Every morning and evening, Aaron and his priestly sons were to enter into the tabernacle and burn fragrant incense on the Altar of Incense (Ex. 30:7¨C8). Because this incense was holy, Yahweh explicitly prohibited offering ¡°unauthorized¡± (lit. ¡°strange¡± or ¡°foreign¡±) incense on the Altar of Incense.
Tragically, Aaron¡¯s sons Nadab and Abihu later ignored this commandment and offered unauthorized fire and incense in the tabernacle. For their crime, Yahweh struck them dead with fire that came out from the Most Holy Place to consume them (Lev. 10:1¨C2).
So, we might ask, what is the point of offering incense? Why must it happen so regularly, in the morning and in the evening, and why is the incense so holy? Allen Ross helpfully explains that burning incense ¡°was the accompanying ritual for making intercession in the sanctuary.¡±1 So, when the priests were offering incense, they were doing so while offering up something that God finds even more pleasing: prayers for the people of Israel.
In Revelation 5, this connection between incense and prayer is made explicit. There, the Apostle John is given a vision inside the heavenly temple of God, and he sees the twenty-four elders (representing all of God¡¯s people: the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of Jesus) fall ¡°down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints¡± (Rev. 5:8).
Intercessory prayer was a crucial component of priestly ministry. Yahweh commanded that the priests make such prayers for the Israelites whom they represented before Yahweh regularly, twice every day, while burning a pleasing aroma through incense. Prayer was not burdensome and unpleasant but the sweet aroma of incense offered to Yahweh as a regular part of priestly duties.
And since we who live under the new covenant are called to be God¡¯s holy priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5), we too have the responsibility of lifting up prayers like incense to God. We are called to intercede for one another with the confidence that those prayers are held in golden bowls in the temple of heaven by the twenty-four elders who worship the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb day and night (Rev. 4:8¨C11).
Do you recognize the value of your own prayers?
1 Allen P. Ross, Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2006), 213.
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Strengthened by Might Colossians 1:1¨C14
As I write these words, an impromptu prayer meeting that began after a chapel service at Asbury College in Kentucky had been going nonstop for more than a week. There have been many reports of blessing and a sense of the presence of the Lord.
I doubt that the apostle Paul would have been surprised by this. In today¡¯s reading, we get a snapshot of Paul¡¯s lifestyle of prayer. Every time Colossians came to mind, he gave thanks for them (v. 3). Located in the Lycus valley near the city of Laodicea, Colosse, had fallen on hard times by Paul¡¯s day. But of even greater concern was a form of teaching that had begun to creep into the church. Paul does not give many details in this letter. He is more interested in dwelling on the truth than in detailing all the false tenets of something he describes as a ¡°hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ¡± (Colossians 2:8).
Paul¡¯s prayers for the Colossians focused primarily on two things. The apostle prayed that the Holy Spirit would grant them wisdom and understanding to know how they should live. He also asked that God¡¯s Spirit would strengthen them with power so that they would live out the truth as it was revealed to them (1:9¨C12). Paul did not pray for them to live this way in order to be redeemed. They were already saved. He prayed this way because redemption had already come to them through Christ. Jesus had already ¡°qualified¡± them to ¡°share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light¡± (v. 12).
>> This lifestyle is as possible for us as it was for the Colossians. God ¡°has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves¡± (v. 13). In Christ, we have redemption, which Paul defines further in verse 14 as ¡°the forgiveness of sins.¡±
Pray with Us Lord God, fill us with the knowledge of Your will through all wisdom and understanding from the Spirit, so we may live worthy lives pleasing to You, bearing fruit, and growing in our knowledge of You (Col. 1:9¨C10).
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"Where the Lines Blur" ¡ª? Written by Melissa Troyer
If I go up to heaven, you are there; ? ? ?if I go down to the grave,* you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, ? ? ?if I dwell by the farthest oceans, ? ? ?even there your hand will guide me, ? ? ?and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me ? ? ?and the light around me to become night ¡ª ? ? ?but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day. ? ? ?Darkness and light are the same to you
(Psalm 139:8-12). The ribbon of road stretched ahead of us, slipping from gray to blue and then into the fuzzy distance. Above the disappearing road yawned a wide and open sky, suddenly throbbing in vibrant pinks and purples. What before was just a normal blue was now pulsing with intoxicating gold.
Daniel spied a small and seemingly forgotten rest stop and quickly pulled the minivan into the rough exit. The kids crawled out from the abyss of the van, their feet crunching on forgotten snacks. I looked the other way, preferring not to see the now-littered insides of the recently cleaned vehicle.
The kids stretched tired legs and filled their lungs with fresh air. I lugged a heavy cooler to a concrete picnic table and started to make sandwiches until I couldn't. "Come look, honey!" Daniel pulled me toward the rugged landscape just beyond the pavilion.
Scrubby grass gave way to tumbleweed snagged in barbed wire, and just beyond wire, gently sloping land loped into mesas and old Indian land begging to be explored. The symphony of colors serenaded me, the sunset transforming the jagged cactus into golden fuzz, making everything look soft and welcoming. I knew in the midday heat; this place could blister scorching hot and dangerous. The hot West Texas air was my native language- this was my land. I belonged in this harsh wind-blown place. I was part of this staggering beauty. On a sudden rest stop in who-knows-where west Texas, something deep inside stirred, stretched, and woke. I was home.
It was more than just a dusty, forgotten pull-off. I was struck with the reality that in the most hostile place, the most brutal season, God is painting gold on the very things that can cause pain. A desert is hostile environment, to say the least, and can easily snatch the life of someone not prepared for its engulfing heat.
But here in the place where lines blur, between land and sky, that small fold between day and night, the very place where great danger lies, it is here where we experience God's presence like never before. I will never forget another place where the wild winds blew through my bare soul, a river rock turned headstone. Or the moment when my labor took a sinister turn, and my baby was wedged impossibly tight between womb and world. Flipping through the pages of my memories, I don't especially remember the easy moments, but the hard ones where God's breath alone was what sustained me.
Mary carried a sword in her heart. Hagar met an angel and said, "God is the one who sees me."
Jael slew Sisera in her own tent, the most unlikely war hero of her day.
Moses' mother gave her baby up only to watch him follow God into the desert and then back to Egypt to lead her people to freedom.
History is written on these pages of hard and heavenly smashed up hard together.
We need the scorching desert moments so they can host the golden illumination of His nearness in our desperation. That rest stop carved deep lines in my soul, an awareness of always belonging.
Always being held. Always being seen.
No matter where the road is taking us, even on a random and seemingly accidental pull-off, the warm evening light catches in my hair and fills my lungs with the sweetest confidence.
No matter where I am, I am with Him. With Him, I am home.
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KIDS TALK ABOUT GOD FAMILY DEVOTIONAL
? ? WHICH OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT? ? According to one email I received, the Fifth Commandment is ¡°Humor thy father and mother.¡± Although humor may help at times, the word is ¡°honor.¡±
Alyssa, age 8, says honoring your parents is especially important ¡°because if you don¡¯t, it will get you into trouble.¡±
I assume you¡¯re speaking from experience, Alyssa.
Taylor, 10, agrees with Alyssa but for a different reason. ¡°If you did not obey your mom and dad, they would stay mad at you, and God would not like that.¡±
Nor would you, Taylor.
Adam, 11, has a practical reason for honoring parents: ¡°You¡¯ll live longer.¡± You probably won¡¯t find this in medical journals, but the Bible guarantees it in Deuteronomy 5:16 and Ephesians 6:2-3. Psychiatrists¡¯ offices are filled with adult sons and daughters who have unresolved conflicts with parents.
Laura, 7, has another idea about the greatest commandment. ¡°You shall not lie is the most important because you can get someone else into trouble,¡± she says. ¡°Your best friend could go to jail,¡± adds Kaitlin, 7.
How many attorneys would be looking for another job if people told the truth? Although justice in a court of law is often imperfect, the court of heaven is always in session. ¡°A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape¡± (Proverbs 19:5).
Not only could a person go to jail for someone else¡¯s lies, but someone could die if falsely accused of murder, which brings up another of the Ten Commandments. Annastasia, 8, says the commandment forbidding murder is the greatest because ¡°you will not only hurt that person¡¯s family, you will hurt God.¡±
According to Scripture, we are created in God¡¯s image. God is deeply grieved by murder because of its total disregard for the value of his image in another human being.
Robby, 10, says if murderers or terrorists rule, ¡°there will be no happiness in the world because there would be nobody in the world. It would be a sad place.¡± Murder ruins the lives of children, says Kristy, 10: ¡°A daughter or son could never know their mother or father.¡±
The greatest commandment, according to many of my friends, is the first: ¡°You shall have no other gods before me.¡±
Nathan, 10, sees this as the foundation of the commandments ¡°because if you don¡¯t believe in God, why should you worry about following all the other commandments?¡± Laura, 9, says the first is most important ¡°because the Lord is our God, and if he wasn¡¯t, we wouldn¡¯t be here.¡±
Both Nathan and Laura realize that all standards hinge on God¡¯s existence and righteousness. If God doesn¡¯t exist, who sets the standards? If there is no God, then who rewards the good and punishes the evil?
When religious leaders asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment, he said, ¡°You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind¡± (Matthew 22:37). Furthermore, he said the second greatest commandment was like the first: ¡°You shall love your neighbor as yourself.¡±
Love for God cannot be divorced from love for neighbors. The apostle John summarized this link by reasoning that if God loved us first and demonstrated his love by sending his Son to die for our sins, then ¡°we also ought to love one another¡± (I John 4:10-11).
Shock someone today by boldly expressing your love.
Point to ponder: God wants your love.
Scripture to remember: Matthew 22:37 previously quoted.
Question to consider: Do you love anything or anyone more than God?
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What Can Kids Teach You about Heaven? - Senior Living??
What Can Kids Teach You about Heaven?
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ¡°Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.¡± - Matthew 19:13-14
In her memoirs, First Lady Rosalynn Carter told of some of the odd things she learned about White House history when she was there. One thing she learned was that the children of James A. Garfield would often have pillow fights in the East Room. And Teddy Roosevelt¡¯s five kids once took a pony into a second-floor bedroom after riding it up the elevator!
The old saying goes that ¡°kids will be kids.¡± No truer words have been spoken. Children are often loud, rambunctious, overly energetic, and lacking in tact and social skills. But while it can be tempting to think that kids today are exceptionally worse than kids in years gone by, the truth is that kids have always been, well, kids!
Keeping that in mind, we see in today¡¯s passage how Jesus dealt with kids. These kids were like most others: noisy and probably a bit annoying to those around them. And the disciples didn¡¯t want them around Jesus because they thought He was too important to waste His time with kids.
But Jesus said something that was completely unexpected: ¡°Let the little children come to me¡.¡±
Yes, kids are loud and can drain your energy. But Jesus loves them. Welcome children into your life. Learn from their sense of enthusiasm and curiosity about the attitude Jesus wants you to have toward His Kingdom. Let the little children come!
Prayer Challenge:
Pray that God would give you a heart to spend time with children and learn about His Kingdom through them.
Questions for Thought:
What is your general attitude toward children today? Do you like spending time with them?
Who are some children in your life today with whom you can make an effort to spend more time and from whom you can learn about God¡¯s Kingdom?
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5 puzzle links
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2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Cow-Folk & Friends As we get ready to step into
Cow-Folk & Friends As we get ready to step into a new week- I want to encourage you-do not to act on your feelings and emotions when dealing with potentially volatile situations-without first seeking the LORD's prospective. We tend to be quick to act before we really think things out. Proverbs 20:18 tells us: ¡°Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.¡± Psalm 32:18 tells us: ¡°I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.¡± Remember-ole devil is always trying to pull your trigger. he loves to temp you emotionally- so that¡¯s why ><> 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, ¡°No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. GOD is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.¡± So let the ¡°conviction¡± you have through through the HOLY SPIRIT from the Word- inform your actions-rather than allowing your feelings to inform your actions. Meaning: You act according to GOD¡¯s Word- rather than act according to your feelings. Whether you¡¯re facing a difficult- a life changing decision or you feel like tearing into somebody out of anger ><> STOP ><> consider and talk to the LORD about it. When we pray for GODs guidance and for discernment through the HOLY SPIRIT-we can rest assured that GOD will provide us wisdom ! As I¡¯ve said many times - He's a lot easier to talk to than most people nowadays and He won't lie to you ! I felt pretty convicted to put this out this morning-so GOD knows at least one of y¡¯all will have a use for it this week. So - I¡¯m praying  each one of you has a good-safe-healthy-peaceful-problem free week. I encourage you that in all you say and do- allow others the opportunity to hear-see and feel the love of GOD through you. You just might be the only GODly example some will get to see all week ! GOD Bless !!
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2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Displeased with God
God¡¯s mercy offends us. When God forgives our sins and we do not receive the reward of our disobedience, we revel in His mercy toward us, and we may even desire such for those like us. But what about those we don¡¯t like, or even our enemies? That is more problematic.
God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital of the brutal kingdom of Assyria. Jonah went the opposite way. God tracked Jonah down. As a result, Jonah found himself inside a fish. Jonah then cried out to God for mercy, and God heard him and gave him a second chance.
Jonah went to Nineveh and preached its impending doom in forty days. At least, he¡¯d now be able to see the destruction of this wicked city of the Assyrians. But the people believed in God, and they repented.
And when they did, so did God. ¡°Then God saw their actions¡ªthat they had turned from their evil ways¡ªso God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it¡± (Jonah 3:10 HCSB).
You would think Jonah would be elated. The people listened to his message, and the city was safe. Shouldn¡¯t Jonah, who recently tasted God¡¯s mercy in his life, welcome God¡¯s mercy to others? He didn¡¯t. God¡¯s mercy displeased him greatly.
We want God to be ¡°merciful and compassionate ... slow to become angry, rich in faithful love¡± (4:2) to us. But we want to keep those blessings for ourselves and those we deem worthy of receiving it. You would imagine that by this point, God would have reached the end of His patience with Jonah, but He hadn¡¯t.
He provided shade for Jonah in the form of a plant, as the prophet awaited the destruction of the city. God still wanted to teach Jonah a lesson. He also appointed a worm that caused the plant to die. Once again, Jonah complained to God, ¡°I¡¯d rather be dead than alive!¡± (4:3 NLT). God now had Jonah where He could teach him.
¡°You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not grow. It appeared in a night and perished in a night. Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?¡± (4:10-11 HCSB).
Too often we think of ourselves as special and as more deserving of God¡¯s mercy than others. To Him, we are special, but so is everyone else, even those we don¡¯t like or agree with¡ªeven our enemies.
We find ourselves displeased and offended when God shows His mercy to those we deem unworthy of it.
We usually focus upon one aspect of Jonah¡¯s story¡ªhim inside the fish. When we do, we miss the point of the book¡ªGod¡¯s mercy comes in ways that may displease us, to those we do not like because God is gracious and merciful and cares for everyone.
Prayer
Father, may we walk more like You showing mercy to those we may not like, those who have hurt us, but those You care about. May we be more like You in every way. Amen.
?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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"What Makes God Happy"
¡°So don¡¯t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.¡± ¡ªLuke 12:32?
Sometimes when we look back on our lives, we might think, ¡°If I would have known then what I know now, I would have done things differently to have a better life.¡±
When you get down to it, that is what we all want: a better life.
In John 10, Jesus tells us what life ought to be about and essentially reveals the meaning of our lives. He said, ¡°The thief¡¯s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life¡± (verse 10 NLT).
Often the Bible will contrast two things to teach us a certain principle. For example, in Matthew 7 Jesus spoke about the narrow way that leads to life and the broad way that leads to destruction (see verses 13¨C14).
And in the same chapter, Jesus contrasted the wise man who built his house on the rock with the foolish man who built his house on the sand (see verses 24¨C27).
When we read these passages, we need to look at the contrast, at the choices that life presents. Here in John 10, Jesus contrasts two options for life. He was saying, ¡°Here is the devil¡¯s plan. And here¡¯s My plan.¡± The devil¡¯s plan is to steal, kill, and destroy. On the other hand, Jesus has come to give us a rich and satisfying life.
Why does He want to do this for us? He gives us the answer in the next verse: ¡°I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep¡± (John 10:11 NLT).
The word ¡°good¡± that Jesus used is full of meaning here. It not only means good in a moral sense, but it also could be translated ¡°beautiful,¡± ¡°winsome,¡± ¡°lovely,¡± and ¡°attractive.¡±
Therefore, Jesus is our beautiful, attractive, winsome, lovely Shepherd. And the Shepherd¡¯s purpose for us is that we would flourish.
Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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*BE STILL! Psalm 46:10
¡°Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
Do you have a quiet place, a place far away from the stress and turmoil of life to just be still as you read God¡¯s Word? This quiet place should be more than a physical location; it should be a spiritual oasis. We can experience quietness and peace even in the midst of the battles of life. We know what our battlegrounds are; what we need is peace!
Sometimes we may observe groups frenziedly waving placards promoting peace. More often than not these are the very people who cause conflicts and dissention. As far as I know, they seldom, if ever, establish peace.
The Lord desires for us to enter into a blessed stillness with Him. It may require a commitment on our part to find the time and place where we can experience Him in serenity as we pray and read His Word.
We can hear the Lord call to us from today's passage of Scripture: ¡°Be still, and know that I am God.¡± If we fail to take the time to be alone with God, we will never experience the knowledge of His Lordship in our life. Open your Bible and read in silence. Listen for the quiet voice of the Lord whispering peace and blessing within your inner being. Learn to be still.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Why is it that You're Feeling Like a Grouch?
Why is it that You're Feeling Like a Grouch?
I have a thought for you to ponder today. It's about one of the root causes of your grouchiness. For years, I taught leadership at church and continue to do so as I travel and speak. An occasional question I ask often takes people by surprise: "Do you know that you're sometimes grouchy? And when you are grouchy, do you know why?" You are grouchy because you often, or at least occasionally, have unspoken or unthought expectations that you haven't communicated and consequently, people are frustrating you, leading to your grouchiness. ? One of the areas I was responsible for at church was Pastoral Care. Sometimes people get sick and end up in the hospital. When this happened, If they or a relative or friend would call us and let us know about it, we would come to visit, minister, and pray with them. If they were going in for surgery and wanted us to be there to pray with them beforehand, we would be there. But if we don¡¯t know about it because no one told us, then in their eyes, we failed because we didn't meet their expectation of coming. This failure occurs because they didn't communicate their expectations to us. People don't realize that God considers the act of mind-reading, a demonic activity. Well, none of us are mind-readers, and we don't always pick up on the cryptic hints people leave us assuming we'll understand what they want or need. Expectations need to be communicated and defined if you want others to fulfill them. When expectations are met, people feel content rather than grouchy. ? People often have unspoken and undefined expectations in various areas of their life including their job, marriage, church, etc. This is a common communication failure that even the most skilled communicators struggle with. Undefined expectations that you didn't even realize you had, are rarely fulfilled and can leave a trail of disappointment. This can result in feeling grouchy. The blame for these undefined expectations is usually directed at the person who failed to meet them. For instance, let¡¯s say your boss wants something specific from your performance but has never communicated it to you. He may not even be consciously aware of these expectations, but they exist within him. Can you guess what might happen? You're likely to fail because he never conveyed those expectations to you. Would that seem unfair? It always feels unfair when you're a victim of uncommunicated expectations. This issue is especially evident in family dynamics, causing pain, bitterness, and grouchy behavior. ? Expectations need to be well-thought-out, reasonable, clear, and communicated. This benefits both the person setting the expectations and the individuals they are directed at. Expectations must be negotiated and agreed upon with a spirit of mutual preference as we see in Romans 12:10 (NIV) "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." ? God provides reasonable expectations, filled with hope, love, mercy, and patience toward us. Psalm 62:5 states, ¡°I wait quietly before God, for my expectations come from Him.¡± God communicates His expectations clearly. The Apostle Paul repeatedly lays out God's expectations for Christian behavior in his epistles. God is patient and merciful in His expectations, understanding that change takes time. He wants us to demonstrate the same patience and mercy toward others. ? Here's a simple way I handle frustration. I ask myself if I have uncommunicated expectations. If I do, I admit it's my responsibility and then ask God for forgiveness. I then work to seek reasonable expectations and work on communicating them clearly while remaining patient with others. I remember that behavior change takes time and is helped with reminders. Reflecting back, developing this skill has been immensely beneficial in becoming a better leader. ? So, as you navigate through times of grouchiness, remember that unspoken expectations are usually the culprit. Pause and ask yourself if you've communicated them clearly. Learning to do so will help you become a better version of yourself. ? Proverbs 23:18 says, ¡°For then there will surely be a future for you, and your expectations shall not be disappointed.¡± ? In His love, Pastor Tim Burt
?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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James 1:14-16
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Each one of us is enticed by Satan with tailor-made temptations. When we act on those temptations, sin is conceived and produces death.
God knows that sin will steal our potential and kill the plans that He has for us. His desire is for us to stop sin before it stops us.
S ¨C Sinful thoughts confessed.
When we continue to dwell on those temptations, they lead to action. Kill those tempting thoughts by confessing them to Jesus before they can conceive sin.
T ¨C Think on these things.
After we confess sinful thoughts, change the channel. We must take control of our thought lives. Think about things that are pure, right, noble, worthy, beautiful, and good (Philippians 4:8).
O ¨C Order our thoughts.
Take every thought captive. From sophisticated arguments to foolish fantasies, we must bring every thought into obedience to Christ.
P ¨C Pursue Christ relentlessly.
In Christ alone, we find the power to overcome sin. God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. With every temptation, He provides a way of escape.?
Live with eyes wide open, aware of the ways Satan will tempt us to sin. Stop sin before it stops you!
Blessing:?
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you be quick to confess temptations and to ask for Jesus¡¯ help to address them. May you keep your thought life in order as you pursue the Lord and His will. He will withhold no good thing from you. In Jesus¡¯ name¡ Amen.
Today's Bible Reading:?
Old Testament
Esther 8:1-10:3
New Testament?
1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13
Psalms & Proverbs
Psalm 37:1-11
Proverbs 21:23-24
?www.jhm.org
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Momsooky
