Tuesday Devotional...1/31/12

Thankfulness

Psalm 92:2

To shew forth thy loving kindness

in the morning,

and thy faithfulness

every night,

We should acknowledge and thank God for His loving kindness and faithfulness toward us. In His love and faithfulness, He had endowed us with so much. We should constantly think about the following blessings and thank God for them, and be careful not to take them for granted:

» His truth, which He continues to reveal to us.
» His gifts, spiritual and physical, that He continually pours out to us.
» His church and our part in it.
» His ministry and their unstinting service to us.
» Our brethren and the opportunities for fellowship with and service to them.
» Our families and their health and prosperity.
» Our nations and all the blessings that accrue from our citizenship.
» And myriads of other gifts and good things He bestows so freelly.


submitted by
Annie

Monday Devotional...1/30/12

"We Serve A Big God"

Why is it when we are walking through a tough situation, the more we focus on the problem, the smaller God becomes.


As it talks about in Hebrews 12:2...

"Looking onto Jesus the author

and finisher of our faith...",

He is to be our main focus. We are to fix our eyes on Him. As we do that continuously, our God will stay big in our eyes. The more we get our eyes off of Him and onto the situation, He becomes smaller and smaller.

When we look onto Jesus, not only does He become big in our eyes, but also He will bless us with His strength, peace, joy and confidence and the list goes on! Not only that, but He will provide for us all that we need to walk through whatever we are currently facing.

I encourage each of you to keep looking onto Jesus! We serve a BIG and MIGHTY GOD!!

Blessings,

Sandy Billingham

STEP BY STEP

devotional for Sunday, 1/29/12

In our lives there are some things we want to change. Old habits that no longer serve their purpose, how much we weigh, an addiction causing life to become unmanageable, etc. Some people are able to make a sudden drastic change, like quitting smoking "cold turkey" without gradually weaning off. But there are many things that take more time, and maybe we take a few steps forward, a step backward, then a few steps forward again. It's much harder than changing our clothes, or changing our hairstyle. There are many changes that present a challenge, and are best done with the help and support of others. Change isn't always easy.

There are times when we are sinning and we are aware of that sin, but it is still difficult to stop. We are not alone in this. Even Paul struggled with it, yet he knew where he could find help:

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:21-25a NIV

So it is Jesus Christ our Lord who delivers us from our sins. We must take the steps laid out for us, but it is with the power of God that we make it down the path. Sometimes we slip and take a wrong step or even backtrack, but He is always there guiding us back to the right road. And the best news is that God will not count our missteps against us. Through faith in Jesus our sins will be covered.

You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made. Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin. Job 14:15-17 NIV

Lord, you remind me once again that your forgiveness is a free gift, as is the power to change my life. It is not that I have tried, but that You have died; it is not who I am or what I've done, but rather what You have done and who You are that brings me forgiveness! I desire to stop my sinful actions. Help me to change my ways, step by step. In your name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

Saturday Devotional...1/27/12

The Thief in the Night

A thief had come and broke into her safe and personal space.
No average criminal, this invisible enemy’s goal
   was of memories to erase.


Clandestine and deceitful as he did his job at first.
Before long, his mischievous behavior grew into a kleptomaniac’s thirst.


So, she lost her ability to recall names, relations, and even a loving face.
Not satisfied with mere invasion, next step was to replace.


So, after her precious valuables had all but disappeared,
He filled in the gaps and took their place with unrelenting fears.


Then he added violent anger and mass confusion.
She was completely helpless at his transfusion.


Wasn’t it enough to take her mind’s dignity?
Did he have to breed in her toward her loved ones so much enmity?


Just at the point of her greatest frustration,
When she was overwhelmed with evil sensations,


When everyone else felt hopelessly beat up, and then…
It happened…


In an instant, in a moment etched in time,
All was revealed to her, the entire evil crime.


Years of her behavior into her mind began to flood.
The horrible way she treated her friends and even her own blood.


How is it possible, the hurt to others at her expense?
That’s just not who she was, it didn’t make sense.


She remembered every word, every gesture, and every fight.
Every angry outburst, accusation, it was a horrid sight.


All in a moment’s time, her emotions overwhelmed her.
Then before she fully processed it all, her heart began to stir,

Filled with such warmth and love,

   she felt she would burst.

His hand reached down and

   lifted her head  just when she

      was at her worst.

My darling, stop looking back.

   It’s time to let go. But Lord,

      how can I? I’ve hurt them so.

No child, not you. The thief,
  the thief caused the pain.
But I’ve bought from that thief.
  It’s the very reason I was slain.


Don’t stay in that moment filled
  with regret and dire straits.
The warmth you feel is their
    forgiveness, and greater love
                                                                                                      awaits.


Come with Me to My Holy Chambers
   where we’ll feast at the banquet table.
But I’ve been so weak and confused, Lord,
    do You think I’ll be able?


I’ve conquered it all…disease, pain, and even death.
         I’ve conquered it all for you!
Never again will you be invaded. Never again will you be confused.


There’s nothing here but love and joy,
  and there’s nothing more for you to do.
But leave it all behind and follow Me.
We’ll live together for eternity.

This was written to explain the evil disease called Alzheimer’s. It took over my Aunt’s mind and finally her life. She passed from this life to the arms of Jesus January 24, 2012. Though the last few years that the disease took over her were extremely difficult for her family, she was of course still greatly loved by all.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:

 “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

I Corinthians 15:54-55

Amie Spruiell 1/27/2012

Friday Devotional...1/27/12

HEAVEN

What is Heaven, Where is Heaven? Some of Webster’s definitions are:

• The abode of God and the angels
•  The expanse of space surrounding the earth; that which seems to be over the earth like a great arch; the firmament; the sky
• The sovereign of heaven; God; also, the assembly of the blessed, collectively
• The place of supreme happiness or great comfort

In a Christians quest for heaven we have often sang the old hymnals in church:

“Oh I want to see Him, look upon his face,

there I’ll sing forever of His saving grace”

“In that city where the Lamb is the light,

In that city where there cometh no night,

There’s a mansion over there

and it’s free from toil and care

In that city where the Lamb is the light”

We often use the expressions of: Heaven Bound; Heaven Sent; Heaven is in your eyes etc. So to the human mind and spirit, heaven is a real place, a place that the soul longs to go for their final destination… a place that is reserved for the saved, the believers in Jesus Christ, A place of eternal life.

Some that have experienced an account of a near death experience explains what Heaven is like, and find that most commonly heaven is described as “the light”

“It was as if I were going home, so familiar was it to me. As if returning to where I had originally come from…The absolute peace, the oneness, the completeness was the most striking.”

Several verses in Revelation chapter 21, verses 3 – 6 (the last book) of the New Testament speak:

• Verse 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
• Verse 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. 
•  Verse 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. 
• Verse 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Ome’ga, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water and life freely.

In John 14:3 the Bible says:

“And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

1st Corinthians 2:9 states:

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man,

 the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

As believers we understand the words of Jesus in John 14:6 when he said:

“I am the way the truth and the life.”

So with all that we know or don’t know, with all that we understand or don’t understand ….There is one fact that is true, and that is Heaven is real, not just a figure of our imagination. And for me and my house we will serve the Lord, for surely Heaven is waiting for you and me. For he will give unto us that are athirst of the fountain of the water and life freely ….

Come Quickly Lord Jesus!

Written by: Glenna Williamson

Thursday Devotional...1/26/12

Getting Rid of Waste

Baby Olivia sat on my hip looking like a cute cherub. Rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes and a perfect pink mouth smiled up at me. As I tickled, cooed, and played with this darling handiwork of God I was delighted! My heart filled with warmth.

My time with Olivia was all pleasure and no work. But usually relationships require work; and some relationships seem to require unending work! Yet we do the work because we care about the person.

When we have babies we change their diapers and clean them because we care. When our spouse is ill and gets sick we clean it up because we care. Even when our dog goes potty we clean it up because we care (unless we are so fortunate as to have woods on our property!).

Even with children almost grown, I was thinking about the waste in my life that I still clean up, and although it is not a pleasurable activity, I do it because I care. So I asked God, how much waste do you clean up from me just because You care? How many times have You had to heal spiritual and emotional hurts in others (such as my family?) because of something I said? How much comfort have You poured out on others because I disappointed them when I didn’t do what I said I would do?

John 3:16-17 (The Message)

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

Colossians 1:18-20 (The Message)

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

Lord, thank You for showing me that it is You that holds everything together. Thank You for paying the price for my own shortcomings, flaws, weaknesses, and failures. I believe Your blood was shed for my sins because You love me. Please help me to accept Your help in the details of my life. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by
Mary M. Wilkins

Tuesday Devotional...1/24/12

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:

for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,

which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

James 1:12

**************************************************************************

In James 1:12, the apostle is saying that the man who overcomes trials becomes a man of sterling worth and emerges strong and pure spiritually. But what must we overcome? In Revelation, each of the letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor contains the phrase "to him who overcomes." Later, in a summary statement near the end of the book, Christ says, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son" (Revelation 21:7). It is obvious that overcoming is a prime activity in a Christian's life.

Paul says we are in a warfare against "spiritual wickedness" (Ephesians 6:12, KJV). He also writes that "the carnal mind is enmity against God" (Romans 8:7) and that "those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (verse 8). John says those who "overcome the wicked one" are strong (I John 2:14), and then he says we are not to love the world or its lusts and pride (verses 15-16).

We have, therefore, three general areas in which to overcome:

1. We must overcome Satan, his demons, and their evil influence.
...

2. We must overcome

this world and its ways.
...

3. We must overcome our fleshly, carnal, human nature.

...

The way that Christ taught to overcome is not only to avoid sin, but to do what is good and right. Paul explains this succinctly to the Christians in Rome, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). So we see that the crown of life is a crown of righteousness, and righteousness can be defined simply as "right doing." An overcomer is victorious over sin!

submitted by : Annie

BALANCED RIDING

devotional for Sunday, 1/22/12

I am learning to ride horses. This endeavor began late in life, just 7 years ago. My first instructor taught me what she called "Balanced Riding." I have taken regular lessons from 4 different instructors, each with their own focus and methods of teaching, but all building on the same theme of balanced riding. My time in the saddle has had frequent interruptions due to moves, a hip surgery, hot summers, etc. In spite of all this, my riding continues to improve as my connection with the horses deepens.

One thing I have been working on recently is to sit deeply or firmly in the saddle. If I imagine the bones in my bottom being "plugged in" to the saddle, it relaxes my legs and allows me to have much better balance, even if I remove my feet from the stirrups. No matter what the horse decides to do, staying "plugged in" allows me to remain stable and "go with the flow" of movement. Then I also have better control over what I ask of the horse, guiding it with my body.

Living a Christian life is like Balanced Riding. There may be many ups and downs in this life, unexpected movement in a different direction than anticipated, etc. But if we remain "plugged in" to God with our faith, we will be able to "go with the flow" of this world. No matter what twists or turns appear on our journey, or what battles we are sucked into with the devil, we can ride life's trails with security and confidence. Our lives will remain balanced on Christ, and we will ride calmly through difficult situations with the confidence that God is always with us, holding us up and guiding us through.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7 NIV

written by Jan Andersen

Saturday Devotional...1/21/12

Inoculation

Some people have just enough of the truth
that they miss the whole truth

…and sometimes they miss the real truth.

There are countless people in the world who say they believe in God, call themselves religious and even sometimes call themselves Christian, but they also feel the god of the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Sikhs, etc., are all one in the same god as the God of the Christians. These people enjoy meditation, having what they consider “spiritual” conversations, passing the time with inspirational books and songs, and expressing their opinion that all religions are just different roads leading to the same place. It’s funny how that way of thinking does not apply to other areas of life. I would never say that all roads will lead me to work or back to my own house. Anyway, these people I’m referring to are inoculated.

There’s another group of people out there who might be just as numerous as the first. They love God, believe in Jesus, and have assurance of their salvation…their eternal life after death with Christ in heaven…all because of their faith in Him. However, the people I’m referring to don’t know that He has even more for them now in this life. Many of them do their duty of church attendance often accompanied with a list of rituals, and maybe even give their regular tithe or at least an offering, but they’re not living their lives victoriously. They too have been inoculated.

An inoculation is when you have just enough of the disease that you never get the whole disease. You get part of it or you get an alternative that tricks your body into believing you have the disease making you immune to the real thing.

I know the first example above may seem worse than the second because at least those in the second group have a correct theological view of salvation. Yet, I feel this second group is in danger of falling away and merging with the first. This is because if your religious experience is just an experience of following a set of rituals, you risk becoming discontented, angry and then without motivation or hope. You’ve had just enough of the truth to never get the whole truth.

The whole truth can only come with a personal relationship with Jesus. That’s when fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment and joy surpasses all else in this life. We become more than conquerors, more than over comers, and we make a difference in this world of hopelessness.

I asked God to show me a picture of the beautiful relationship He desires for us all to have with Him. He gave me a dream. In my dream, I was with my father and husband. We were in my grandmother’s house. We were enjoying each other’s company, full of joy, telling stories and dining together. I knew exactly what it meant. My father represented God the Father, my husband represented Jesus, and my grandmother’s house was the place where I go to be in their presence. It was beautiful.

I can’t imagine not having that place to go to. I would be missing out on so much. Come to think of it, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t speaking personally to my Jesus. I guess I was absent on shot day and missed my inoculation. But for all those who have been inoculated, there’s still hope. They too can catch this amazing disease I have. When they ask me how, I’ll tell them. Spend time in the Word, in worship, and in prayer all alone with just Him. Have you been inoculated? There’s still hope. You too can catch this disease.

Amie Spruiell 1/20/2012

Devotional for Friday...1/20/12

Do Not Be Dismayed...

The Battle Is The Lord's

An old familiar Bible story comes to mind of David and Goliath found in 1st Samuel 17. Nearly 80% of this chapter prepares us for the conflict while only 20% actually describes the confrontation between the two. This declares to us as Christians in this modern world, that our emphasis should be… YES, be prepared for battle, but in actuality the battle is the Lord’s.

Today our enemy still stands on a mountain defying our God, roaring like a lion seeking whom he may devour. But like David with his sling and five little stones, we too can arm ourselves with the word of God, and, as David….we can come against our enemy in the Name of the Lord and sling, as it were, the written Word to defeat the enemy. For greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

In preparation for battle verse 20 states that David rose up early in the morning, left his sheep with a keeper, and went as Jesse had commanded him coming to the trench. Therefore, we too, “as onward Christian soldiers” need to rise up early and seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while He is near. For surely the Lord will fight our battles for us each and every day.

David saw the challenge in verse 32 and said to Saul “Let no man’s heart fail because of him” (Goliath). The Lord encourages us therefore, to not let our hearts be troubled not to be afraid, for God is the same yesterday, today and forever! Saul told David in verse 37 “Go, and the LORD be with thee”.

Church, the Lord bids us “GO” … take back the enemy’s camp! Gird yourself with the whole armor of God with the sword of the spirit and the shield of faith; for WE SHALL be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

David told Israel “This day the LORD will deliver this giant into my hand and all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, “I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

I pose the question to you today… Whose son/daughter are you? And this is your answer, you answer give the answer, “I am a child of the king”

Then, Do Not Dismayed …

The Battle is the Lord’s

Written by

Glenna Williamson

Choices and Opportunities

(devotional for Thursday, 1/19/12)

My GPS is 3 years old. Every time I turn it on it reminds me that I should do an update. On Saturday when the GPS said “Turn right,” I hesitated. I was alone on an exit ramp so I scanned through the next few directions to see what way it was directing me. Then I chose to go left because I absolutely knew a quicker way to my destination.

I suppose you can see where I am going with this. I drove directly to the place I had in my mind. Turns out it wasn’t the place I was supposed to be at 15 minutes ago. Holding down the panic that threatened to rise in my chest I call my husband.

“Hey Honey, would you Google this address for me?” I ask casually. “Sure,” he willingly replies. I make a u-turn and head back up the road I have just traveled, confident that I must have missed the address and would be there in no time.

He tells me, “You need to be where the Boulevard meets the Canyon.” Great! I am on the wrong side of this sprawling suburban city with 10 miles and just as many lights separating me from my destination. A sigh of failure and discouragement escapes from my lips as I ask my husband, “I’m going to be 40 minutes late; do you think I should still go?” After a moment of quiet he says “That’s your call.”

He is so right! It is my call. It is my choice to go to a meeting late or not at all. It is my choice to follow the directions I am being given or not. It is my choice to get angry. It is my choice to eat when I am not in need of nourishment. The list is endless! Aargh! I hate it when all my excuses have been stripped away. Yet, I am so grateful that God cares enough for me to not leave me wandering. So sure I know which way I should be going but not headed in the direction that He has for me.

Isaiah 30:22 (The Message) Your teacher (God’s Holy Spirit) will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right: "This is the right road. Walk down this road." You'll scrap your expensive and fashionable god-images. You'll throw them in the trash as so much garbage, saying, "Good riddance!"

Just like I ignored the GPS, how often do I ignore God’s direction for in my life? What little compromises and oversights have I allowed to creep into my life casting shadows across my vision, blurring my direction, and twisting my testimony? I often feel like I have just been down a road, and then I wonder why am I here again? Yes, because I made a choice!

Dear Lord, thank You for giving me a free will. I would not enjoy being a puppet. But sometimes I feel like I am a puppet of my own preferences and desires. Please work in my heart: break it up and remove the rocks, roots and trash of unbelief, fear and doubt so it will become good soil. As I read Your Word each day please send it deep into my heart and watch over it so that it will grow. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

(By the way, I did go late to the meeting.)

Wednesday Devotional...1/18/12

"Walking In The Spirit"

God tells us in Galations 5:16...

"Walk in the Spirit and you shall not

fulfill the lust of the flesh."

We all know as Christians how important daily we are to walk in the Spirit. The only problem with that is that we leak. Yes, each one of us leak! Unfortunately sometimes our flesh wins out. We all set out to be obedient to the Lord and to walk in His ways, but at times our fleshly desires can have a real influence on us if we allow the flesh to. Let's face it, it is far easier to succumb to the flesh rather than walk in the Spirit. It is a choice on our part. The more we feed our spirit with worshiping the Lord, spending time in prayer and reading His Word, as well as fellowshiping with His people, the stronger we become.

I encourage you my friend each day to strengthen your spirit man with more of the Lord. Allow God to have full surrender of your life in a greater way. Choose less leaking and an abundance of God in your life!

In His Radical Love,
 Sandy Billingham

Tuesday Devotional...1/17 /12

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 John 1:7
*********************************************************

"The light" is the truth. God's Word is truth (John 17:17). We have to walk in the light "as He is in the light." He lives in us, and we in Him. We are in union with Him.

John is telling us how we become clean: We become clean as we apply God's Word. It gets in us and begins to clarify and purify our thinking. But it does not become a real cleansing until it begins to be used. Then, it begins to clean up our bad habits and thinking processes. The thinking processes change according to our action, our behavior. If we keep doing the same things all the time, nothing changes. We are resisting. "Walking" denotes living. If we live as He lived, then we become cleansed. This is what holiness is. If we do that, then we will produce fruit—it is impossible not to!

submitted by : Annie

Monday Devotional...1/16/12

Remarkable Things Today…

So many of the holiday movies that we have been bombarded with during these past few months usually end with one of the central characters shouting, “It’s a Christmas Miracle!” At that point, two or more people hug as the music swells to quicken our heartbeats and make us smile with relief and gratitude. Most of the time, these stories are completely fictional, but we get caught up in them anyway.

Now that the parties are over, the decorations have been packed away, and we have survived the long line for gift returns at the mall; we often find ourselves looking for those bear-hugging, happy ending, musical themed miracles in our everyday lives. And when the everyday feels uneventful, we may begin to think something is missing. Regular becomes boring and we are left thinking that the lack of drama in our life means that we are less important than the make-believe people whose lives we continue to watch on the big and small screen.

But if we are able to really look at our lives, we may see that the non-eventful days are miracles. We wake up, relatively healthy and whole - and we know it. We have families and/or friends; or even just a friendly store clerk or bus driver who calls us by name - and we now it. We have food and shelter and some form of transportation - and we know it. We can see the sky change color with the morning sun through the day to sunset and the night's stars and the glow of moonlight - and we know it. Almighty God is our Loving Father - and we know it.

I try to remind myself that every day I have is amazing! The physical flaws that I see in myself are a part of what God want to use somehow. My uniqueness is why I am the only one who can do what He has planned for me. I have heard Him speaking to my heart in the past; but I must listen better this year. I must remember that we each have a series of assignments. Many of them may seem small and unimportant, but they each have the potential to be the one special assignment that we were created for.

Are you listening and getting ready to act whenever the Spirit speaks? To do the one thing, or one of many things that will cause someone to say, "It's a ___________ Miracle!" No matter what you see when you look at yourself, God wants each of us to amaze one another with our faith. Today may be your day. Perhaps when you close your eyes tonight, you can remember one moment and say to yourself,

Everyone was amazed

and gave praise to God.

They were filled with awe
and said,

"We have seen
remarkable things today."

Luke 5:26

 

Written by Lynda Kinnard

OUR BODIES

We get many messages about how our bodies should look and function. I suppose there may be some women out there who truly love everything about their bodies. However, most of us probably have issues with our physical appearance, our weight, our ability to do things, etc. Some of us probably literally hate our bodies for various reasons. For some of us it is because of our infirmities, our health problems, our bodies betraying us, our aging. For others it is about not looking like the models we see every day in advertising. Sometimes, it is because of messages that we heard from our own family or friends as we were growing up. Some of those messages were unspoken, in the form of abuse of some sort. Our body image is sometimes distorted, or even absent in some parts. We get a lot of mixed messages about our bodies.

But when God made us, he made us just the way he wanted us to be:

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 1 Corinthians 12: 18 NIV

And we know that what God creates, he makes it good. We are wonderful just as we are, because God made us:

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 NIV

So how do YOU feel about your body and all it's parts? If you close your eyes and start at the top of your head and think about what you feel there, and go on down your whole body, are there parts where you get stuck, or cannot go past, or skip over altogether? Do you have any idea why you might have problems there? Another way to see how you feel about your body is, can you look at yourself in a full length mirror? Front and back? Totally nude? Does that make you uncomfortable in any way? Are there areas of your body where you think "Ugh!"

This week, take some time to appreciate your body and all of it's parts. Start wherever you want to start, like your fingers or even fingernails, and think of all the things you like and appreciate about that body part, how it looks or feels, what it can do, etc. Then take time to thank God for that gift. See if you can get through your entire body with something to appreciate about each part. Then think about how all of them work in concert, together, to function, all the positives, no negatives. Then give all praise to God for the gift of your body by thinking of ways to use your life for Him!

written by Jan Andersen

Saturday Devotional...1/14/12

My Father Told Me So

Years ago, a friend of mine, Anna, asked a question that I’m sure many of us have been asked. I knew the answer, but my words were feeble for they did not completely express all that was in my heart. I was asked how I can know for sure that Jesus is the Messiah. I answered in a few short sentences about what the Bible says about Jesus, and that I believe the Bible is truth. Then she asked how I know the Bible is truth. Though I felt the words inside of me, when they came out, they were lacking and left her still with questions.

How do I know that the Bible accurately tells the truth of Jesus? It’s a very important question, because if you can’t trust the source, how can you trust the man? As a child, we trust our parents. As a parent, I tell my children everything about Jesus, His love, and His plans for us. As a child, I boldly told all my friends about Jesus, and I told them that the reason I knew about Him was because my mommy told me so. As a parent, I tell my children that as they get older, they will have to ask God for themselves to show them the truth because we can’t continue our whole lives telling people that we know because our mommy’s told us so. Or, I suppose an adult way of saying it is, “That’s the way I was brought up.”

Anyway, back to Anna, since I was not able to give her a complete answer in the few moments I was given, I decided to put it in a letter. I’d like to share it with you:

I guess it was in high school that I learned that the Bible has over 40 authors, who lived in different centuries and even different countries, yet the Bible does not contradict itself. Not all of these authors were educated men. Oh, I suppose many books of the Old Testament were written by educated men, but many of the small prophets were just country boys. With the exception of some like Matthew, Luke and Paul, the New Testament writers were simple men of little education. In spite of all this, how is it that the message remains consistent?

Questioning the validity of the Bible is not something new, Anna. Many intellectuals before you have done the same, and then confessed that after careful study, they came to the conclusion that the Bible is infallible and too perfect to have been written by men without the direction of God.

I myself have at times wondered and questioned (as we all do), and have searched other religious works because I wanted to see proof that these others were false. It didn’t take long to discover where they fall short. With each one of these discoveries, I felt stronger in my own faith in the Bible. I’ve also found in my research that scientific facts do not conflict with the Bible as opposed to what many believe, and that history coincides with the Bible, unlike with other religious writings. In fact, the writings of credible historians support the history found in the Bible.

Another aspect to consider, Anna, is prophecy. I know the argument, as you’ve told me before, is that the fulfillment of prophecy could have been made up as a false way of proving scripture, but there are just too many things that cannot be made up. Consider the name of a pagan king who would set God’s people free. The historical evidence backs up the authenticity of the documentation. Also, a name just cannot be purposefully given by parents who want to fulfill God’s prophetic Word when we’re talking about a pagan king; and how would the parent’s know what this king would do as an adult? There’s also the prophecy of certain world empires and the order of their reign from the book of Daniel. That’s not something that can be made to happen in order to purposely fulfill prophecy. You’ve also argued that the writings could have been falsified, that they could have been written after the fact, and given an earlier date. Again, I point to the overwhelming evidence of the authenticity of scripture itself, including the time and place it was written.

Then you ask, “How was it compiled together?” Well, my friend, history documents how this task was not taken lightly. Yes, the Bible is a compilation of works that at some point had to be put together by man. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, more than once, scholars and experts of different ages and backgrounds came together in unity with a mission to determine God’s will for His Holy scriptures. Serious criteria had to met and agreed upon. Each piece of writing had to pass the test in order to make the cut, and if even one thing was in doubt, it was left out.

I know that translation has been a question on your mind as well, Anna. You find it difficult to believe that what we read in English is exactly what was written thousands of years ago after going through so many different translations. You no doubt have seen the difficulty in accurately translating anything being that English is your second language. You have found that certain words in your own native Slovak language just have no true English translation. Then, if you go from Slovak to Russian to German to English, who knows what you have in the end? I agree that certain words do get lost in translation, and that what you read in scripture is of an Eastern culture making it difficult for other cultures to fully grasp, but God is bigger than our language and culture barriers. Besides, when you’re considering whether the Bible is factual, this argument is insignificant. It isn’t the facts that get lost in translation; it’s the humor, the poetry, the significance of an action, and at times the deep emotion. Those are all very important things, but not an argument for the reliability of scripture. Also, your assumption for how it is translated is wrong. For there it be an official translation of scripture, the oldest available documents are consulted. In fact, every time there has been a new official version of the Bible, the writer’s consulted the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic writings.

Over the years, I have found quite a bit to confirm my faith in the Bible, confirming my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, but it was the Holy Spirit who opened my eyes to all of this, and I pray He opens your eyes as well. It was revealed to me after I made a conscious decision to believe in spite of the lack of proof. Jesus says that those who believe without seeing are blessed. Even in high school I refused to believe that man evolved from animals. Now that I have researched this issue, and I understand better how science works, I know that evolution makes no sense and is impossible. On the other hand, creation does make sense because we are so intricately and perfectly designed, so we must have a designer.

Maybe my belief began because my mommy told me so, and she deserves the credit for instilling a foundation in me, but that’s not the only reason why I believe today. The reason I believe today is because my Father told me so. It wasn’t because I needed proof for myself; it was so I could confidently answer anyone who asks me, “Do you really believe that?” So, my answer is that I believe that Jesus is who He says He is because the Bible is truth. I believe He took the punishment of sin by dying first a physical death, then a spiritual death by descending into Hell and experiencing separation from God. I believe then He left Hell victoriously and came back to life again physically and spiritually. I believe the reason He did this was so we don’t have to. He offers to us the chance to avoid our punishment. It’s a gift and all we have to do is receive it. And I believe it not only because the Bible says it, but because I know Him personally and He has told me. He speaks to me and I know His voice.

I believe it all to be truth, Anna, first as a child who believed without question simply because her mommy told her so and now as an adult because my Father told me so.

Sincerely yours,
Amie Spruiell
written 4/24/2003