|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 3:43 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 3:18 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 3:12 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 2:56 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:41 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:59 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 9:47 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:49 pm
Prayer 109
It's hard for our human minds to understand that God never had to be created. That He's always been in existence. That He was never born. There's no beginning with Him, because He is the beginning. That absolutely nothing - zero - nada - existed before He was.
Humanly, we want to create a beginning for Him, because that's how we understand life. Our lives had a beginning, and our lives will have an end. So we naturally want to put God in that same box of limited understanding.
But know it: He is the beginning and the end. God is all. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere at once and yet is also able to be intimately involved in every area of our lives. He created the smallest ant, and He created the mammoth grizzly. He designed the Appalachian mountains, and He designed the Sahara Desert.
He invented music, color, rhyme, motion, laughter, surprise, adventure and mystery. He masterminded the intricacies of the human body, all of plant life and even snowflakes.
He called into being the vastness of the Grand Canyon, the strength of Niagara Falls and the wonder of the ocean waves. He put the spring in a kangaroo's foot, the squiggle in a worm and the roar in a lion. He alone decided why donkeys are stubborn, when water would freeze and how the earth rotates.
God IS. And He is above ALL. He's wonder and miracles and clarity and purpose. He's the definition of good and holy and absolute truth. He is Genesis, and He is Revelation. He is now, and He is eternal.
God is the supreme Being and authority over all. There has never existed - nor will there ever be - anyone or anything greater, more powerful, more holy or more mighty than Him.
God is the Father of time, the Father of the universe and the Father of humanity. He is eternal glory and righteousness. His faithfulness will never end.
No human has eternal life without him, and every human will bow in allegiance to His holy name. He will judge, He will forgive, and He will punish. He is grace, and He is wrath. He is perfect and beyond our finite understanding.
Man cannot escape God's sight. No rocket or submarine can propel a person beyond or beneath God's creation. His all-seeing eyes know exactly where each life on the planet lives and breathes.
He IS. Above all things, He IS.
And He is forever.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Know It!
You can't outhink, outsmart or outgive God Almighty. He's the reason you live, and He wants to fill your life with incredible meaning. Make time to think about His vast goodness. Praise His holiness. Ponder His faithfulness.
Read It!
Matthew 6:9-13; John 1:1-14; Romans 8:35; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:13.
Pray It!
Wow, Jesus. I don't often think about how powerful You really are, and how You are my bridge to God, to heaven and to eternal life. Thanks for reminding me that there is nothing and no one above God Almighty. Help me to think about His sacredness more often.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:12 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:48 pm
i know this may not apply to this thread but i wanted to post it.
this weekend i went away to lake ausippe, im not sure if thats how you spell it but anyways, i went away to a camp with my church, and a man we know as pastor dan comes along with us.. now that i think of it, he's the one that saved me... but anyways, he came with us, and when we did devotional... he gave possibally the greatest sermon on the rocky road of christianity... its amazing, he can link his past life experiences to his spitituality, he was talking about how he used to be on the cross country team, and how it was easyier to run when he had sombody to help him, and how if they were gone one day that it wasnt quite the same and it was harder to keep yourself going... and when he was preaching, i just kinda of looked at my girlfriend, and i think thats when i realized, im not gunna make it without her.. i may only be 16 but i am 100 percent that i am going to marry her one day, because she is the one that showed me god... i knew who he was before of course, but i was not on the right path, and at first i didnt understand how she did it, she was always so....right... and i just saw more and more flaws in myself, i mean yeah she has her flaws, but she his an amazingly spiritual person.. my whole life i grew up around drinking and drugs... and i never tried any of it, ill admit though, untill i met her and her family, i didnt think that there was any possible way for an adult to enjoy night time, or the weekend without drinking or smoking... like a crutch, at the end of the week or the day come home and have a drink... i never knew any better, until i realized that at the end of the week i can get up and fill my cup with god insted of whiskey, and i love the taste of the holy ghost, and it has absolutly no aftertaste either, i just wish i could get more people to try it xp
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:42 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:30 pm
Don't Worry . . . Be Happy
Dear Diary:
OK, I admit, I'm not a diary-writing person. In fact, this is my first time. But hey, I got this thing for my birthday from Aunt Rosie, and I have to try it out, because I know the next time I see her, she's gonna ask me if I've used the diary.
So here goes.
Hmmm.
I'm not even sure what to put in a diary!
Guess I could just write about my day, huh?
OK. So today reeked. I was so worried about track team tryouts, I bombed my speech for class treasurer. And I was so worried about my speech, I couldn't eat lunch. And I was so worried about being seen with this huge zit on my face when I walked into school, I didn't even look up when Katie said hi. Now she thinks I'm mad at her.
Sigh.
Why is life so hard?
Now that I'm home, I'm worried I won't get my homework done before I have to go to work this evening. And I'm worried my boss is going to yell at me when I do get to work. He's always in such a bad mood. Guess I'm still worried about what happened yesterday at work. It was an honest mistake. I gave a customer change for $10 when he really gave me $20. He came back later and complained to my boss. I apologized and told him I thought he'd given me $10. Now I'm worried he's gonna think I'm trying to rip off the customers.
And I'm worried about the tennis match tomorrow. I'm really not ready for it. I need to work on my serve for about three hours straight. But how can I when I have homework and my job?
And I'm worried people are gonna laugh at me tomorrow cuz I've still got this Mt. Everest-sized zit exploding on my face.
Sigh.
Life is reallyreallyreally hard.
Yep. I can do that - write all weird and stuff. Cuz it's just a diary. It's not like anyone's ever gonna read this, right?
Know It!
God doesn't want you burdened with worry. He wants you to love life and experience the joy He offers. Do you realize that every time you worry about something, you're robbing yourself of God's joy?
Worry is different than concern. It's OK to be concerned - even burdened - about your nonChristian friends, your grandmother who's in the hospital or the fact that your dad was recently laid off his job. But to obsessively worry about things over which you have no control, goes against God's best for you. Worry causes you to forfeit God's peace.
Read It!
Proverbs 3:6; Matthew 6:25-34; Matthew 10:19-20; Philippians 4:6-7.
Pray It!
Dear Jesus, I'm glad that You're concerned about everything that concerns me. Knowing that, You'd think I'd realize I don't have to worry, wouldn't You? But I forget. I take my eyes off of Your faithfulness, and I jump into my worry-mode. Please forgive me, Lord. I don't want to miss Your joy and Your peace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:55 pm
Nehemiah's Construction Company
You probably remember where you were, what you were doing, and maybe even what you were wearing when you heard the devastating news on September 11 that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Towers in New York City.
I remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news that the Alfred E. Murrow building in Oklahoma City had been bombed. Though I was living in Colorado Springs, Colo., my family was in Oklahoma City, and I immediately wanted to find out if they were OK.
Nehemiah was in a similar situation. He was away from his hometown of Jerusalem when he received the news that the wall surrounding the city had been torn down. If he were alive today, he could probably tell us exactly what he was doing when we got the news. Tragic events tend to freeze details in our minds - even the seemingly unimportant details - such as where we were, what we were doing, what we were wearing, who we were with when we received the news.
Nehemiah immediately thought of his family and friends still back in Jerusalem. He yearned to help, so he asked his boss (the king) if he could have some time off to go home.
Nehemiah was a young man of integrity and a hard worker. He kept his word. If he said he'd be on time, he was. When he worked at the palace, he gave 100 percent. He was dependable. The king trusted Nehemiah and granted his request to return home.
It may not sound as though a wall is really that important. After all, a wall is just a pile of bricks and stones, right? Well, yes and no. This was a physical wall of protection that surrounded the city of Jerusalem, but it was also a spiritual wall of morality that encompassed the city.
A physical wall protected the citizens from neighboring enemies, war and terror. When the physical wall was torn down, the spiritual atmosphere was also damaged. It gave immoral people from other cities, a chance to invade Jerusalem with their evil ways. Nehemiah cared about his people too much to let neighboring influences flaunt sin and wickedness inside Jerusalem's city limits.
So he headed home to begin reconstruction on the city wall. A big task? Yes. A bigger God? Definitely.
Know It!
God will sometimes ask you to step out in faith and complete a big task. Know this: He will never ask you to do something without equipping you with everything you need! Think about your own life right now. Do you have a spiritual wall of protection around yourself? Have you established accountability with other Christians? Or are you leaving yourself wide open to the attacks from Satan your enemy?
Read It!
Nehemiah 1-3; 1 Peter 5:8-9.
Pray It!
Jesus, I confess I often leave my spiritual wall in shambles. Help me make time to build a strong spiritual wall around my life by reading the Bible daily and developing an intimate prayer life with You.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:47 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 10:19 am
Nehemiah's Wall of Righteousness
Imagine the shock (and disappointment) of Sanballot and Tobiah when Nehemiah's building crew completed the entire wall surrounding the city of Jerusalem in just 52 days! They were boiling mad. They'd tried to stop the construction through mockery, physical attack, emotional abuse and intimidation. But nothing worked.
Know this: When you're smack-center in God's will, others will try to lead you astray. Remember Satan hates you, and he'll stop at nothing to discourage you and tempt you to toss in your spiritual towel. He'll use people to make fun of you, gossip about you, lie about you and laugh at you. Don't give up! There is absolutely nothing more important than being in the smack-center of God's will doing what God is calling you to do.
And just what is He calling you to do?
1. Lay a strong spiritual foundation upon Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
2. With the help of the Holy Spirit, build a strong wall of righteousness around your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you set up defenses against worldly things that could knock holes in your spiritual wall.
3. Reach out and help others lay a strong spiritual foundation upon Jesus Christ.
4. Aid others in building a wall of righteousness around their lives.
Nehemiah was not only physically successful in rebuilding the wall, he was also spiritually victorious! How?
He realized the importance of the individual. (Reread Nehemiah 6:3.) He knew that what he was doing mattered! Do you know that? Really know that? What you do for God matters! It may seem insignificant to you, but your spiritual activity is important to the Almighty! So, what specifically are you doing for God right now?
Nehemiah knew how to protect himself from attacks. At one point, he paused long enough to put half his crew on guard while the other half continued to build. What are you doing to protect yourself spiritually? Do you take time daily to clothe yourself with spiritual armor? What are you doing to protect yourself against movies, music, relationships and activities that go against God's will?
Know It!
God's plan for your life will involve a variety of things through the years. But His immediate plan for you right now is for you to develop a solid, intimate, growing relationship with Him and to guard that relationship (wall) with your life!
Read It!
Nehemiah 7-13; Jude 24-25.
Pray It!
Jesus, I confess that I haven't spent time with You every single day. I want to be more consistent in reading the Bible, and I want a tight prayer life with You. I realize doing those things will help strengthen my spiritual wall - my relationship with You. And Father, please help me say no to the stuff that's harmful to my relationship with You. I realize what I do matters. So guide me in my involvement with spiritual activities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
