Wednesday Devotional

"Seize The Moment"

Everyone of us need to be encouraged on a very regular basis. Especially in the body of Christ, I have come to realize more and more how much we truly need each other. We all at some time or other become discouraged and distraught and struggle with life's difficulties that come our way.

Scripture tells us:

"but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today,"

lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

"Hebrews 3:13

 

When we see a brother or sister in need of encouragement, that is the moment to reach out to them and let them know we are there for them. We can take that time to build them up and pray for them and speak words of life to them.

I can't tell you how many times I have experienced a kind word or a gentle touch or a warm smile, a special hug or that phone call at just the right time. It has made all the difference in the world to me to keep going and pressing forward to live for Christ.

Seize that moment and bless that brother and sister when the opportunity arises!

Blessings,
Sandy Billingham

Monday Devotional

Genesis 1:1


In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Even before leaving the first verse, a serious student of the Bible is confronted with a difficulty—unless he is willing to believe what the Bible consistently shows from the beginning to the end. The fourth word in the Bible is "God," Elohim in Hebrew. But that takes some explaining. Elohim is God—plural. "In the beginning Gods created the heaven and the earth." For an English-speaking person, this is confirmed in Genesis 1:26, where the translators finally used plural pronouns to conform to the plural noun antecedent, Elohim.

  

The translators recognized in verse 26 that Elohim—"God"—was speaking to somebody, and He was speaking to someone who was just like Him, which is why the word Us is used. They were forced into using a plural pronoun. "Let Us make man in Our image." In fact, Elohim is used 66 times in a row at the beginning of the Bible before any other Hebrew word is translated into the English "God." That occurs in Genesis 6:5 when finally another word is used for God.

Someone reading this beginning in Hebrew would have to be impressed that the author of this book was trying to get something across to the reader that "Gods" (plural) did everything—not an individual but a least two. Elohim is used in the Old Testament 2,570 times, and every usage is plural—"Gods."


As shown by this plurality, the God Family clearly consists of more than one Being, or more than one Person or Personality.


submitted by :Annie 

SYMPHONY

When you go to hear a symphony play a concert, the instrumentalists gradually enter before the performance and begin warming up. The sound is a discordant and jumbled noise. Each individual instrument that is played has a unique sound, and the skill of the musicians is evident as they run up and down the scales or play short segments of a piece they will play later. It is obvious that those who are playing are amazingly talented in their ability to produce not only a beautiful sound but also put the sounds together with great talent. But when they are all mixed together playing in their own little worlds, it is a cacophony. But if you place before these musicians a piece of music by a great composer, and they follow the cues of a talented conductor, the notes come out as a wonderfully complex and coordinated sound... music is made!

In the same way, when each one of us is given a unique talent (instrument), we could easily try to use them in isolation (like the warm up). Individually we may produce a good work (beautiful sound), but in coordination with all the other Christians (musicians in the symphony) around us and following the plans (sheet music) set out for us by the Author of our life (composer) while being directed by the Holy Spirit (conductor), then we can accomplish great things for the glory of the Lord. We accomplish giving praise and thanks to the Lord (glorious music!).

The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.”... 2 Chronicles 5:13 NIV

We are all unique parts of the body of Christ, each given distinct abilities to be used for him. To be of best service to God, we must work in conjunction with others around us and not reject those with different gifts. A coordinated use of these unique and varied talents brings about greater glory to the Lord. So the unity of the diversity in the body of the universal church is a gift in itself, and a greater witness to the world.

... Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good... I Corinthians 12:7 NIV

May we each find our own special Spiritual gifts and learn to use them together with other Christians to the glory of God! So what instrument do you play in God's symphony?

written by Jan Andersen, musician for God

Saturday Devotional

Know Your Enemy

Be wise and aware. When you obey God in a matter that requires courage and blind faith, you will be lied to by the enemy.

Oh the wonderful plans the Lord has for us. Oh how the enemy wants to step in and thwart those plans. How? He does it by attacking our minds. There’s a fascinating story in the Bible that I think depicts perfectly what Satan does to us. It’s the story of Jacob and Laban.

After 20 years of being a servant, make that slave, hmmm…it’s probably more accurate to say prisoner to Laban, his uncle as well as his father-in-law, Jacob decides to obediently follow God’s plan for him by packing up and escaping. Well, Laban was not gonna sit back and let that happen. After several days, Laban caught up with Jacob and family, and here we find him using a classic mind game.

Laban knew the truth, but he didn’t want Jacob to know the truth. He wanted Jacob to believe a lie. Jacob was already being falsely accused of stealing Laban’s livestock. Now Laban’s opening statement as he catches up with the man who once was his prisoner (just as we can be Satan’s prisoners), is yet another lie. Jacob is accused of kidnapping Laban’s daughters. Well let’s see. These women were Jacob’s wives. Marriage is ordained by God. Their loyalty belongs to Jacob, not Laban, and by the way, they were thrilled to get away from dear ole dad. Still, it was a perfect way to begin his little scheme of convincing Jacob that he’s a horrible person.

Naturally, the next step for Laban is to ridiculously build himself up confirming even more how horrible Jacob is, “Oh, don’t you know,” Laban begins, “you were never a prisoner of mine. I would have let you go sending you off with a going away party!” This and the next pitiful statement that poor Laban makes about never getting a chance to kiss his grandchildren good bye paints this enemy into a picture of a saintly father in law who is kind and selfless only wanting the best for everyone, and who of course is really the victim at the hands of mean, horrible Jacob. He does his best to convince his son in law that he’s a fool for thinking otherwise.

Then finally, to top it all off, he states that he has the right to harm Jacob as if punishment was deserved by the judgment of the victim himself. But oh no, because supposedly Laban’s such a godly man, he’s going to obey God and not harm Jacob…at least that’s the way the story is spun by this fast talker. It’s meant to cause guilt on Jacob’s part for not receiving the punishment he so deserves…NOT!

But wait! There’s more! There’s yet one more false accusation against dastardly Jacob. However, the way Laban speaks about it, it sounds more like a pathetic plea from a poor old man, “Why? Oh why oh why oh why Jacob? Why would steal from me? Why would you do that to me when I’m so wonderful to you?”

WOW! This is surely a script written by Satan himself. It’s a tactic used by him countless times over millennia probably to every one of us with a variety of words custom made for our own hearts plugged into the sentences. By the time the last blow hits, many of us are convinced of our guilt and we pitifully answer with, “I just don’t know how I can be so bad.”

Even Jacob was taken back at first admitting his vulnerability to this man and then declaring vengeance on whoever caused harm to his uncle/father in law. How was this great patriarch of the Israelites so deceived? He didn’t fully assess his enemy. You would’ve thought that he had after 20 years, but then how many years go by with us not even realizing how our enemy does this to us?

It’s so important to know our enemy, to know his tactics, to evaluate the situation in light of what we know, and finally to remind ourselves of God’s Word when confusion sets in. Jacob received word from God. He was told to leave this jailer and come into the land promised to him where he would be blessed. If he had been prepared, expecting this very tactic from this enemy, he would have known that this was the perfect time to replay those words from God over and over and over again until the fog cleared enabling him to see the situation clearly. Now maybe that’s exactly what he did, for we read several verses later of a man of courage who sets the record straight with his evil uncle Laban.

Be wise and aware. When you obey God in a matter that requires courage and blind faith, because it looks as if all is stacked against you, you will be lied to by the enemy. Know his tactics and fight with the Word of God that’s sharper than a two-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the attitudes and the motives…even the motives of Satan.

Amie Spruiell 2/24/2012

Friday Devotional...2/24/12

The 23rd Psalm

Probably one of the most heartfelt and most memorized scriptures of the Bible is the 23rd Psalm. When nothing is left to say at the passing of a dear loved one, we resolve to the 23rd Psalms as this passage says it all when no human words can convey our hearts.

The LORD is my shepherd I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;

 he leadeth me beside the still waters,

He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me

in the paths of righteousness for his name’s Sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For Thou are with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before  me in the presence of mine enemies;

Thou anointest My head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

and I will dwell In the house of the LORD for ever.

This Psalm is so anointed as we can look to it for direction for the future and solidarity of the past….For The LORD is our shepherd, what more can we want. He makes us to rest in the abundance of his Love as we graze on his goodness. He guides us in times of trouble and stills our fears … the ripples of life’s waters he calms. He restores our souls and gives us a renewed hope as he leads us in his word of righteousness for his names sake. And yes, we will all walk through the silhouette and shadow of the end of our lives, but yet we will have no fear of evil for he will be with us even unto the end. His prompting us gently … oh what a comfort he is to me. Who else can set us at the table with our enemy as they look upon us with admiration as we glow with the oil of gladness … none but He, none but He! Our trophy is in him and the joy of his glory runs from the top of our head to the bottom of our feet … our cup runneth over. Surely goodness, mercy and forgiveness shall pursue us all the days of our lives … and we will inhabit the presence of the LORD forever. Amen

As I see it: Glenna Williamson

Thursday Devotional

Just Wanting to Help

Have you ever had a plan? Have you ever had to deal with some project or event that had certain steps and a timeline in which to accomplish them? Weddings, graduations, engagements, retirements, job or school applications, house buying or selling, car buying or selling, and moving all flood my mind as projects that have built in deadlines.

Deadlines can be good for us. I like them because I know once I have passed them they are over! Of course, I only like deadlines when I meet them. I hate them when I miss them. Like the $50 credit that was only good for 6 months and I forgot about it until month 7. Having missed out on lots of rebates and other perks because of missed deadlines, I try to be very on top of such things nowadays. As a thoughtful mom, I offer to share my experience with my children. Why should they have to learn the hard way when I have already paid the price and can point them in the right direction? This is not a trick question!

I am happy to admit to my own past failures and poor decisions in order to help my children avoid similar wrong turns and challenges in their own lives. Life is rarely easy and often difficult as young people transition into adulthood. I just want to help them over a few stumbling blocks into greener pastures.

Sigh, it turns out that our loving and kind Creator planted in each one of us a will. I have one, you have one, as do each of our children. As nerve wracking as it can be to watch a young adult make or not make decisions in their lives, at some point it has to stop being ME and start being him/her. As I “reminded” my young adult of a quickly approaching deadline today, I thought, “It is a good thing God doesn’t nag me.” In all fairness He could remind me of all the promises and commitments I have made to Him and either have started but not finished or have not begun at all.

God has a perfect view of where our lives are headed. He does actually know the beginning to the end.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord.

“Plans to prosper you, not to harm you,

plans to give you a hope and a future.”

 (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV84).

Dear Lord, thank You for Your abundant patience for me. As You have been with me, Lord, I know You will be with my adult child. Please help me to be patient and not jump in and take over their life or their decision-making process. I know Lord, I can only guess and see in part, and am limited by my own wisdom and experience. I pray Your hedge of protection around them and trust that You have their plans in mind and that You will watch over them much better than I have. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Wednesday Devotional

"Listen Carefully To His Voice"

I recently attended a special meeting where a friend of mine was giving her testimony. I sat fairly close to the front so I could get a bird's eye view and hear her every word. When we began to worship the Lord first, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a lady sitting a few chairs away appeared to be spectating during worship time instead of entering in. For the most part, the songs were foot stomping, hand clapping, joyous, worshipful songs. The lady didn't budge but watched on in a somewhat passive and bored way. Everyone elce was shouting praises to the Lord and loving on Him.

It then came time for my friend to give her testimony. The crowd of people cheered her on and we all sat down anticipating what she had to share. All eyes were on my friend as she began to unfold before us how God so marvelously transformed her life from darkness to light. She had gone through many tumultous and painful times which grabbed our attention.We were all holding on to her every word. None of us wanted to miss what God did for her. The room became very quiet because of her intense testimony. She continued on when all of a sudden I began to hear this loud clip,clip,clip! It was the lady that sat a few chairs away from me. She had gotten out her large fingernail clippers and began clipping away, oblivious to the distraction she was causing. Finally someone who sat closer to her graciously asked her to stop and she did and eventually got up from her seat and walked out.

I was reminded today how God desires us to be attentive to His words and to carefully listen to what He has to say. In fact in His word in Deuteronomy 15:5 (Amplified Bible), it says "If only you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to do watchfully all these commandments which I command you this day." The Lord tells us to carefully listen to His voice. That means drop everything and be totally captivated onto what He is saying to us. If we are distracted and unfocused we will miss His voice and miss His blessings.

I encourage you today, worship Him whole heartedly, and listen carefully to the Master's voice. You will not be disappointed as you give your all to Him.

Blessings,

Sandy Billingham

Tuesday Devotional...2/21/12

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33

What was the first of the Seven Laws of Success? Set the right goal! Jesus clearly established the highest-priority goal for His disciples in this verse. He did this because He knows that the main goal, our highest priority, determines the preparations, efforts, and zeal for reaching it.

Suppose someone offered us a tremendous sum of money, perhaps billions of dollars, but the exact amount would be determined by how well we could learn to speak German in two month's time. We would embark on the most intense crash-course program of learning in our life! We would study from morning to night, burn the midnight oil, listen to language tapes, carry flash cards wherever we went, and seek out fluent German-speakers so we could practice with them.

During those two months, no one could drag us near a time-wasting television program. We would probably allow nothing to interfere other than necessary physical activities to sustain life itself. All for money!

Notice what Jesus says earlier in Matthew 6:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

(verses 19-21)

Consider these scriptures in the context of what Jesus says in verse 33. Our hearts are in the things to which we devote ourselves, the things we spend our time pursuing. He is helping us prioritize by stating and illustrating principles that will help us make right choices in managing time.

Every day another 24 hours or 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds is credited to our account, and we have to spend them. Whether we are a billionaire or a dirt farmer, except for those who die that day, all have the same amount of time. Jesus says how we spend it shows where our heart is.

Of course, Bible Study and prayer are very high priority activities. But Satan also knows this! He also knows it would be very difficult to change our minds regarding their value if he confronted us directly. So he makes use of subtle, indirect approaches, and all too often he succeeds in diverting our attention from these high priority concerns.

Submitted by : Annie

Monday Devotional

USE YOUR GIFTS!

EVERY Christian has something they can do to glorify God! Everyone has a talent that they can use! How do I know that? Because 1 Corinthians 12:7 says that “TO EACH ONE, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

And in 1 Peter 4:7, Peter says “We might not be here much longer. We’re living in the last days. So while we’re waiting for Jesus to come back, be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all else, love one another deeply. Show hospitality! Be there for each other!”

“Who should be doing this?” Peter says “EVERYONE! EACH ONE should use whatever gift he has to serve others.” Everyone who believes in Christ has something they can do to make people’s lives a little bit better.

Too many of us think "I’m not special. I’m not smart. I can’t serve the Lord.” But the Bible says “Yes you can!” Romans 12:6 say that "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." God blesses each of us differently so that each one of us can play a special roll in His kingdom.

God wants us to do the stuff that we’re good at to bring glory to Him. Romans 12:7 says “If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

Galatians 5:13 says “You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.”

Each one should use whatever gift he has TO SERVE others. Verse 11 says that “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

Lord this week let us love as you love, let us serve as you serve, let us rejoice in the small talents you have given unto us, that they may be multiplied and bring you glory. Help us to hear your Voice so that the talents you have given unto us may be given away..and that we may love one another as Our Heavenly Father has loved us. Give us the servant’s mind-set, and let our hearts be full of amazing grace…amen

Written by Kathy Bireley

MAKEOVER

devotional for Sunday, 2/19/12

Have you ever wished that you were one of those women picked at random to have a free make-over? Sometimes we get tired of doing the same old thing with our hair and makeup but don't know what else to do with them. Or we feel as though we are showing our age, not only by the changes in our skin but also by our outdated hairstyle. We wish for the makeover to make us look younger or the wave of a magic wand that will transform our appearance into that of a lovely model.

Our outward transformation is nothing compared to our inner renewal in the Spirit when we are baptized into the family of Christ. God gives us the gift of his Spirit to sanctify our lives. When Christ himself was baptized he was set apart and equipped for his work as the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the Father spoke:

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 NIV

There is another place in the Bible where God the Father speaks these words which echo from the Old Testament prophecies - He says them again when Jesus is transfigured on a mountain as he nears the end of his life on earth:

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Matthew 17:1-5 NIV

The Lord's transfiguration is much more than an external "make-over" where his clothes became white and his face radiant. It is even more than the internal transformation of baptism where the gift of the Spirit is bestowed. Jesus is transfigured to show that he is both man AND God. Also, the presence of Moses and Elijah shows that Jesus fulfills both the Law and the Prophecies from the Old Testament times. What a most glorious event for the three chosen disciples who had such a close relationship with Jesus! And since we are children of God, we also share in that close relationship and the glory of the Lord. Our old selves are put off and we are "made new" - a true transformational "makeover"!

written by Jan Andersen

Capable of the Worst of Sins

 

There is no innocent person. We are all not only guilty of sin, but we are all capable of committing every type of sin.

My husband I watch detective shows…just about every one of them. We love watching the bad guy get caught, and at the same time we’re always amazed with how much bad there really is in the world. Something that has struck me quite a few times over the years watching these shows is how common it is for someone who is being questioned about a suspect to respond with, “Well, I just know that my Timmy would never do such a thing,” and, “There’s just no way that my darling Jennifer would ever be involved with such a crime or even those kind of people.”

After hearing one of these lines just the other day, I turned to my husband and said, “We are all capable of all sins. You, me and our children…we’re capable of lying, stealing, cheating, abusing, even using violence to get what we want….even rape and murder. It may not be our character, but we’re capable of it.” He nodded his head in agreement.

The more of the Bible that I study, these stories of real people, the more I see fallen man doing horrible things. But really, are we any different than they? We too are capable of turning away from God offering leftovers as a half hearted sacrifice. We’re capable of looking back with a yearning on a sinful city and turning into salt as a result. We’re capable of losing faith in God and putting things into our own hands even endangering our loved ones along the way. We’re capable of spitting in the face of God’s blessings and using manipulation to gain them. We’re capable of stealing idols, kidnapping and selling a brother, letting power go to our heads and even succumbing to lust. In fact, we’re capable of denying and even betraying our Lord.

If we haven’t done these things, it’s only by His Grace and His Grace alone. On our own, we have no power. We’re capable of all sins and have no right to judge others. Our anger, our pointing fingers, our denying that we would ever do such things brings no help to the one who needs it, brings no right to the wrong that occurred, and brings no vindication to the victim.

So why include all these stories of sinful people here in God’s Word? I used to go for walks with a neighbor friend from Slovakia who was raised Catholic, but appeared to be very secular. She definitely did not know Jesus personally, and she questioned me regularly because to her we seemed radical with our convictions of homeschooling, disciplining, etc. Our conversations would inevitably go down a road where my side of the debate would be backed up by scripture to which she would question. Apparently, the very Bible that she was raised on was unreliable in her mind, but then again she did live through the communist era of the Eastern Bloc. One day, she passionately began naming off famous Bible characters and the horrible things that they had done. It was her justification for not taking the Bible seriously, because why should she rely on such a book to guide her life when there were so many bad examples in it?

I don’t remember word for word what my answer was, but in nutshell, I responded with, “I believe these stories of sinful people are included in the Bible to show us what not to do. I also believe that it’s to show us that (as I’ve been explaining) we are all capable of that same behavior. But even better, and most importantly, I believe that it’s to show us how much love and mercy our God has for us all if we would just accept it.

I finished up by telling her that I’m glad those stories are in there because I need to know that after the things I’ve done, my God will still love me and forgive me, or else why serve Him to begin with. After so many frustrating conversations with my friend which always ended with hugging each other and agreeing that there are no hard feelings between us, this one felt different to me. It was as if something in my words came straight from the Holy Spirit and cut deep into her soul as if it were cutting between bone and marrow because she did seem to be a bit more receptive in our conversations after that one.

I’ve since moved and we’ve lost touch, but I know that many seeds were planted. That particular conversation comes to my mind when I ponder how much bad there is in the world, how humbling it is to realize that we all are capable of the worst of behaviors, and how important it is for us to read all of scripture remembering that in spite of it all, God still loves us and desires us to receive His love and forgiveness.

Amie Spruiell 2/17/2012

Friday Devotional...2/17/12

Food For Thought

I remember being in Sunday School and singing a little song that said:

Be careful little tongue what you say, be careful little tongue what you say. For the Father up above is looking down with tender love, so be careful little tongue what you say.

Luke 6:45 says:

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart

bringeth forth that which is good;

and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart

bringeth forth that which is evil;

for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Therefore in this instance, “Lord make us as children once again that we may adhere to the teaching of your word, and be careful little tongue what we say”

Here is the link to the song Slow Fade by Casting Crowns. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wo26sCH-Fw


Wtitten by: Glenna Williamson

Thursday Devotional...216/12

Pretty Is as Pretty Does

Okay, ready to take my picture. My daughter’s laptop has a cool camera feature and I get to see the photo before it’s taken. That’s a good thing, right? What is up with my hair? I say out loud to no one in particular. “You look nice, Mommy,” my daughter pipes up. While my son kindly suggests, “Just smooth your hair down on top.” I snap. “My hair doesn’t just smooth down!” Is it the lighting, the camera, or me? I wonder. I know I put makeup on this morning, but there’s no trace of it doing any good right now. Tomorrow is my birthday and until this moment, I was looking forward to it.

I don’t often have meltdowns. But I can feel a lump rising in my chest and heading toward my throat and eyes. I blink and squeeze my face tight, resisting the flow of tears. I open my eyes wide to try to remove some of the tiredness I see in them, and smile for the camera. Click. Picture done: I quickly move away from the reflection that has caused me so much grief in just a few minutes.

Who I am is so much more than the skin that covers my body. But for a few minutes this afternoon I forgot about who I am in Christ and could only see what is becoming of my flesh. I will, of course, do my hair and put on makeup tomorrow morning, perhaps a little more carefully as the memory of today looks back at me in the mirror.

What is more important to me? Do I wish I could erase the lines on my face? Am I willing to give up the years of struggling to fight for what is important, learning to love and live with my family and friends, and finally figuring out how to forgive myself and those who have caused me pain? This I know. I am not a Barbie doll with one perfect expression all the time. If I want a smooth and perfect face, I will have to give up on feeling, expressing, and living.

“What is the greatest law?” they asked Jesus, trying to trap Him. The Pharisees were ticked off because they had just heard that Jesus had won a debate ( a big public argument) with the Sadducees. The Pharisees and Sadducees were used to winning every argument especially when it came to The Law. They were the most educated, often the most cunning, and were hard taskmasters to the Israelites. They kept adding their own rules and ways of doing things thus making the worship of God and the keeping of the Law of Moses more burdensome than God intended. Jesus answered them, “To love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul and mind. And the second one is like it,To love your neighbor as yourself.” (see Matthew 26:36).

I can take care to present myself as an acceptable sight before my friends and colleagues, but what is in my heart is the most important part of who I am.

Proverbs 31:30 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!

Written by Mary Wilkins

Wednesday Devotional

"Time With Jesus"

Jeremiah 33:3 has been known as the heavenly hotline.

Jesus tells us to,

"Call to Me, and I will answer you,

and show you great and mighty things,

Which you do not know."

He so wants to show us His deep mysteries and secrets, and will do so as we diligently seek His face. He loves us to meet with Him and looks forward to each and every time we sit at His feet.

I was reminded of that last night as I was taking care of our rabbit "Prime." Around the same time every night, I open Prime's cage and scratch behind his ears, under his chin and gently pet his whole body for several minutes. He is just so relaxed and enjoys every minute of the contact. After that I feed him his dinner and he is set for the night. He loves the attention and anticipates anxiously every moment I spend time with him. I notice each day as I come close to him he is jazzed and so ready for me to love on him he can hardly contain himself.

That is how our Heavenly Father is when we draw near to Him. He is so delighted and can hardly wait for us to run and sit on His lap and share our heart and life with Him. He longs for the time we will come to Him, so He can have us all to Himself. His love is so intense for us and He fully enjoys being with us so He can reveal Himself to us more and more each day.

Call onto Jesus. He will most definitely answer you and show you great and mighty things that exceed abundantly above all that you could ask or think!

Rich Blessings,

Sandy Billingham

Tuesday Devotional...2/14/12

2 Chronicles 20:1-20

 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab,

and the children of Ammon, and with them other

beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat,  saying,

There cometh a great multitude against thee

from beyond the sea on this side Syria;

and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD,

and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD:

even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah

 and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven?

 and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen?

and in thine hand is there not power and might,

so that none is able to withstand thee?

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants

of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it

to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary

therein for thy name, saying,

If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment,

or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house,

and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,)

and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab

and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade,

when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they

turned from them, and destroyed them not;

Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us

out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might

against this great company that cometh against us;

neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

And all Judah stood before the LORD,

 with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah,

the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph,

came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants

of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat,

Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed

 by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

In all dangers, public or personal, our first business should be to seek help from God. Hence the advantage of days for national fasting and prayer. From the first to the last of our seeking the Lord, we must approach him with humiliation for our sins, trusting only in his mercy and power. Jehoshaphat acknowledges the sovereign dominion of the Divine Providence. Lord, exert it on our behalf. Whom should we seek to, whom should we trust to for relief, but the God we have chosen and served. Those that use what they have for God, may comfortably hope he will secure it to them. Every true believer is a son of Abraham, a friend of God; with such the everlasting covenant is established, to such every promise belongs. We are assured of God's love, by his dwelling in human nature in the person of the Saviour. Jehoshaphat mentions the temple, as a token of God's favourable presence. He pleads the injustice of his enemies. We may well appeal to God against those that render us evil for good. Though he had a great army, he said, We have no might without thee; we rely upon thee.

The Spirit of prophecy came upon a Levite in the midst of the congregation. The Spirit, like the wind, blows where and on whom He listeth. He encouraged them to trust in God. Let the Christian soldier go out against his spiritual enemies, and the God of peace will make him more than a conqueror. Our trials will prove our gain. The advantage will be all our own, but the whole glory must be given to God.

Jehoshaphat exhorted his troops to firm faith in God. Faith inspires a man with true courage; nor will any thing help more to the establishing of the heart in shaking times, than a firm belief of the power, and mercy, and promise of God.

Written by Annie A.