A Happy Ending
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Posted:Apr 22, 2015 3:59 am
Last Updated:Apr 23, 2015 4:09 pm 28974 Views
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Read: Ephesians 4:20-32
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 14-15; Luke 17:1-19
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4.32
A friend told me about the time he was watching football on TV as his young played nearby. Angered by his team's bad play, he grabbed the closest thing and threw it down. His little girl's favorite toy was shattered, along with her heart. My friend immediately embraced his and apologized. He replaced the toy and thought all was well. But he didn't know how much his fury had frightened his 4-year-old, and she didn't know the depth of her pain. In time, however, forgiveness came.
Years later he sent an identical toy to his when she was expecting a baby. She posted a photo of the toy on Facebook with the words, This gift has a very long story going back to my childhood. It wasn't a happy story then, but it has a happy ending now! Redemption is a beautiful thing. Thanks, Grandpa!
The Bible urges us to avoid angry outbursts by putting on the new self, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness Eph. 4.24. And if we are the victim of anger, God asks us to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you v.32.
Restored relationships are not easy, but they are possible by the grace of God.
Lord, my temper can sometimes run hot. Grant me the grace to stop and think before I act or speak and the grace to apologize when I've hurt someone. Thank You for the gift of forgiveness.
Repentance and forgiveness are the glue that can repair a broken relationship.
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Facing The Impossible
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Posted:Apr 21, 2015 4:15 am
Last Updated:Apr 23, 2015 4:09 pm 28509 Views
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Read: Joshua 5:13.6:5
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 12-13; Luke 16
See! I have given Jericho into your hand. Joshua 6:2
In 2008, house values were tumbling in the United Kingdom. But 2 weeks after my husband and I put our home of 40 years on the market, a buyer offered us a good price and we agreed to a sale. Soon our builders started work on the house I had inherited, which would be our new home. But a few days before the sale of our old home was finalized, our buyer pulled out. We were devastated. Now we owned two properties one whose value was tumbling rapidly, and the other a virtual ruin that we could neither sell nor move into. Until we found a new buyer, we had no money to pay the builder. It was an impossible situation.
When Joshua faced Jericho, a fortified city in lockdown, he may have felt as if he was facing an impossible situation Josh. 5.13.6.27. But then a Man with a drawn sword appeared to him. Some theologians think the Man was Jesus Himself. Joshua anxiously asked if He would be backing the Israelites or their enemies in the forthcoming battle. Neither one, he replied. I am the commander of the Lord's army 5.14 . Joshua bowed in worship before he took another step. He still didn't know how Jericho would be delivered into his hand, but he listened to God and worshiped Him. Then he obeyed the Lord's instructions and the impossible happened.
Dear Lord, often when I am faced with an impossible situation I choose worry rather than trust. Help me to trust You and to remember that nothing is too hard for You.
Nothing is impossible for the Lord.
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A Father Who Runs
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Posted:Apr 20, 2015 1:15 am
Last Updated:Apr 21, 2015 6:47 am 27930 Views
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Read: Luke 15:11-24
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 9-11; Luke 15:11-32
The of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19.10
Every day a father craned his neck to look toward the distant road, waiting for his 's return. And every night he went to bed disappointed. But one day, a speck appeared. A lonesome silhouette stood against the crimson sky. Could that be my ? the father wondered. Then he caught sight of the familiar saunter. Yes, that has to be my !
And so while the was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Luke 15.20. It is remarkable that the family patriarch did something that was considered undignified in Middle Eastern culture he ran to meet his . The father was full of unbridled joy at his 's return.
The didn't deserve such a reception. When he had asked his father for his share of the inheritance and left home, it was as if he had wished his father dead. But despite all that the had done to his father, he was still his v.24.
This parable reminds me that I'm accepted by God because of His grace, not because of my merits. It assures me that I'll never sink so deep that God's grace can't reach me. Our heavenly Father is waiting to run to us with open arms.
Father, I'm so grateful for all Your did for me at the cross. I'm thankful for grace. I offer You a heart that desires to be like Jesus merciful and gracious.
We deserve punishment and get forgiveness; we deserve God's wrath and get God's love.
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We're A Community
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Posted:Apr 17, 2015 1:46 am
Last Updated:Apr 20, 2015 1:15 am 27928 Views
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Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 1-2; Luke 14:1-2
[The Lord] gave some . . . for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Ephesians 4.11-12
A pastor's wife was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. That put the family in a difficult, stressful situation. The pastor wondered how he was going to be able to take good care of her while he still had responsibilities for his church family. But he needn't have worried because church members stepped up and volunteered to assist him with meals and some of her care.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about the purpose for which the Lord gave them their spiritual gifts. Before he listed the diversity of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12.8-10, he reminded them that a spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other v.7 . God does not give His spiritual gifts for our own selfish use but to serve others, and in so doing, we serve Him.
We are all given different gifts to be used at different times and in different ways. But they are all to be used in love for the edifying of the body of Christ Eph. 4.12. Wherever God has placed us, we can use what He has gifted us to do as we see the need, remembering that we are all part of the church the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12.13-14.
Thank You, Father, for the wonderful gifts You have given Your church. Help me to understand how You have gifted me to encourage other believers, and to spread the message of Your love to the world.
Use your gifts to exercise care for others.
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The Best Fishing Holes
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Posted:Apr 16, 2015 1:39 am
Last Updated:Apr 18, 2015 1:30 pm 28179 Views
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The Best Fishing Holes
Read: Revelation 22:1-5
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 30-31; Luke 13:23-35
He was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words.
2 Corinthians 12:4
My friend Gus passed away a few months ago. Gus was a fellow trout fisherman. Weekends usually found him in his little boat on a nearby lake, casting for fish. I got a letter from his Heidi the other day. She told me she's been talking about heaven with her grandkids since Gus went to his home in heaven. Her 6-year-old grandson, who also loves to fish, explained what heaven is like and what Great-Grandpa Gus is doing: It's really beautiful, he mused, and Jesus is showing Grandpa Gus where the best fishing holes are.
When Paul reported his God-given vision of heaven, words failed him. He said, I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words 2 Cor. 12.4 . Words cannot convey the facts of heaven perhaps because we humans are unable to comprehend them.
While we might gain some comfort from knowing more details about heaven, it is not the knowledge of heaven that assures us; it is our knowledge of God Himself. Because I know Him and I know how good He is, I can leave this life and everything in it with utter confidence that heaven will be beautiful and Jesus will show me where the best fishing holes are because that's the kind of God He is!
Let us beg and pray Him day by day to reveal Himself to our souls more fully, to quicken our sense, to give us sight and hearing, taste and touch of the world to come.
Nothing on earth compares to being with Christ in heaven.
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Too Much For Me
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Posted:Apr 15, 2015 3:11 am
Last Updated:Apr 16, 2015 1:39 am 28118 Views
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Read: Matthew 26:36-46
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 27-29; Luke 13:1-22
O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Matthew 26.39
God never gives us more than we can handle,someone said to a father whose 5-year-old had just lost his battle with cancer. These words, which were intended to encourage him, instead depressed him and caused him to wonder why he wasn't handling the loss of his boy at all. The pain was so much to bear that he could hardly even breathe. He knew his grief was too much for him and that he desperately needed God to hold him tight.
The verse that some use to support the statement God never gives us more than we can handle is 1 Corinthians 10.13, When you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it . But the context of these words is temptation, not suffering. We can choose the way out of temptation that God provides, but we can't choose a way out of suffering.
Jesus Himself wanted a way out of His upcoming suffering when He prayed, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. . . . O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me Matt. 26.38-39. Yet He willingly went through this for our salvation.
When life seems too much to bear, that's when we throw ourselves on God mercy, and He holds on to us.
Father, I feel vulnerable and weak. I know You are my refuge and strength, my help in trouble. I call upon Your name, Lord. Hold on to me.
With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead.
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Don't Worry!!
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Posted:Apr 14, 2015 4:11 am
Last Updated:Apr 15, 2015 3:11 am 28023 Views
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Read: 1 Peter 5:1-11
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 25-26; Luke 12:32-59
Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5.7
George Burns, American actor and humorist, said, If you ask, What is the single most important key to longevity? I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress, and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it. Burns, who lived to be 100, enjoyed making people laugh, and apparently followed his own advice.
But how can we keep from worrying when our lives are so uncertain, so filled with problems and needs? The apostle Peter offered this encouragement to the followers of Jesus who had been forcibly scattered across Asia during the first century: Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you 1 Peter 5:6-7.
Peter's instructions were not given to help us avoid suffering v.9, but so we can find peace and power to stand victorious against the attacks of Satan vv.8-10. Instead of being consumed by anxiety and worry, we are set free to enjoy God's love for us and express it to each other.
Our goal should not be to see how many years we can live but instead to live fully in loving service to the Lord for all the years we are given.
Lord, I admit that I take things into my own hands and worry. That weighs my spirit down and sometimes robs my nights of rest. Lift the heaviness from my heart as I lean into You.
I will never think of anything that [God, my Father,] will forget, so why should I worry?
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Pray First
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Posted:Apr 13, 2015 3:26 am
Last Updated:Apr 13, 2015 3:28 am 28253 Views
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Read: 1 Samuel 23:1-5
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 22-24; Luke 12:1-31
David inquired of the Lord. 1 Samuel 23.2
When my husband and I supervise our 's piano practice sessions, we begin by asking God to help us. We pray first because neither my husband nor I know how to play the instrument. Together, all three of us are coming to understand musical mysteries such as the meaning of staccato and ÂÂlegato and when to use the piano's black keys.
Prayer becomes a priority when we realize that we need God's help. David needed God's assistance in a dangerous situation as he considered fighting the Philistines in the city of Keilah. Before engaging in battle, David inquired of the Lord, saying,Shall I go and attack these Philistines? 1 Sam. 23.2. God gave His approval. However, David's men admitted that the enemy forces intimidated them. Before a single sword was lifted against the Philistines, David prayed again. God promised him the victory he later claimed v.4.
Does prayer guide our lives, or is it our last resort when trouble strikes? We sometimes fall into the habit of making plans and then asking God to bless them, or praying only in moments of desperation. God does want us to turn to Him in moments of need. But He also wants us to remember that we need Him all the time (Prov. 3.5-6.
Dear God, please guide me as I walk through this life. Help me not to act only by my own wisdom, but to seek Your will in every situation.
God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.
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Sharing A Burger
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Posted:Apr 10, 2015 1:47 am
Last Updated:Apr 11, 2015 6:43 pm 27695 Views
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Read: James 2:14-17
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 15-16; Luke 10:25-42
Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Hebrews 13.16
Lee Geysbeek of Compassion International told about a woman who had the opportunity to travel to a distant land to visit the she sponsored. She decided to take the , who was living in abject poverty, to a restaurant.
The boy ordered a hamburger, and the sponsor ordered a salad. When the food came to the table, the boy, who assuredly had never had such a meal in his life, surveyed the scene. He looked at his huge hamburger and over at his sponsor's small salad. Then he took his knife and cut the burger in half, offered it to his sponsor, rubbed his tummy, and asked, Hungry?
A who had next to nothing his whole life was willing to share half of what he had with someone he thought might need more. This can be a good reminder the next time we meet someone in physical, emotional, or spiritual need. As followers of Jesus, our faith in Him should be mirrored through our actions James 2.17.
We encounter people in need every day. Some around the globe, some simply around the corner. Some in need of a warm meal, others a kind word. What a difference followers of Christ, who have experienced His love, could make by doing good and sharing Heb. 13.16
Today, Lord, help me see beyond my own problems to the needs of others. Guide my hand to give instead of get, to offer instead of ask, and to bless instead of seeking blessings. May Your name be honored.
To be doing good is man's most glorious task. Sophocles
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Sharing A Burger
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Posted:Apr 10, 2015 1:47 am
Last Updated:May 3, 2024 4:18 am 24276 Views
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Read: James 2:14-17
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 15-16; Luke 10:25-42
Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. ÂÂHebrews 13.16
Lee Geysbeek of Compassion International told about a woman who had the opportunity to travel to a distant land to visit the she sponsored. She decided to take the , who was living in abject poverty, to a restaurant.
The boy ordered a hamburger, and the sponsor ordered a salad. When the food came to the table, the boy, who assuredly had never had such a meal in his life, surveyed the scene. He looked at his huge hamburger and over at his sponsor's small salad. Then he took his knife and cut the burger in half, offered it to his sponsor, rubbed his tummy, and asked, ÂÂHungry?
A who had next to nothing his whole life was willing to share half of what he had with someone he thought might need more. This can be a good reminder the next time we meet someone in physical, emotional, or spiritual need. As followers of Jesus, our faith in Him should be mirrored through our actions James 2.17.
We encounter people in need every day. Some around the globe, some simply around the corner. Some in need of a warm meal, others a kind word. What a difference followers of Christ, who have experienced His love, could make by doing good and sharing Heb. 13.16
Today, Lord, help me see beyond my own problems to the needs of others. Guide my hand to give instead of get, to offer instead of ask, and to bless instead of seeking blessings. May Your name be honored.
To be doing good is man'ÂÂs most glorious task. ÂÂSophocles
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