I hope these devotionals will encourage
and inspire you as you study His Word!
God Bless All!
Blessing Of Burdens!
Most gladly, I will rather boast
in my infirmities, that the power
of Christ may rest upon me.
(2 Corinthians 12:9)
Most people are looking for an easy
way through life.
They think that if they had no burdens they
could live pleasantly and triumphantly.
They don't realize that God often keeps us
going spiritually by the weights that seem
to pull us down.
Trials can give our feet spiritual traction.
Our burdens not only bring us blessing in this
life, but they also are "working for us a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory".
(2 Corinthians 4:17)
Zealous Christians!!
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Motivation makes a differance in almost everything we do.
In fact it determines the way believers serve the Lord!
Some people serve Him halfheartedly because they feel obligated.
Others serve Him with urgency and zeal because they recognize
the terrible plight of people lost in sin!
They are deeply grateful for God's saving grace in their lives,
so they go all out for the Lord!
That was the kind of motivation the apostle Paul wrote about
in (2 Corinthians 5:11), (Verse 11)
"Knowing therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."
And concluded with (verse 20)
"We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God"
May we too be zealous in serving the Lord!!
Christians on fire for God, will bring sinners to light!
The Test Of Our Faith
Imagine that you are making application for Heaven.
What would you list as your qualifications?
*I have always believed in God.
*I'm thought of as a religious person.
*I have tried to live a good life.
*I have been baptized.
*I go to church.
*I haven't done anything really bad.
*I have friends who will vouch for me.
If you were to list any of those qualifications on an application
for heaven, it would indicate that you don't understand the
worthlessness of religion. The only application that would be
accepted by heaven would be one on which you listed your
qualifications as follows:
*I can cite no merit on my own.
*I have been a sinner from birth.
*I am coming not in my name but in Christ's.
*I believe Jesus is the Son of God and my Saviour.
*I have accepted His sacrifice for my sins.
*I believe He rose from the dead.
*I have put my trust in Jesus Christ to save me.
This is the confidence of the apostle Paul who to distinguish
between religion and Christ wrote, "For by grace you have
been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk
in them" (Eph. 2:8-10
Building On The Bible
What can be done to improve society? An MTV political
correspondent had this unexpected but praiseworthy
suggestion: "No matter how secular our culture becomes,
it will remain drenched in the Bible. Since we will be
haunted by the by the Bible even if we don't know it
doesn't it make sense to read it?"
Our culture is indeed "drenched in the Bible."
Whether or not the majority of people realize it,
the principles on which the United States was founded, and
the values which still permeate our national life,
were based on the Holy Scriptures.
Yet God's Word no longer occupies the commanding
place it held in the past. Its ethics are sometimes still
praised even though biblical morality is flagrantly violated.
Yes I agree with the political correspondents urging that
people read the Bible.
We need to do more, however, than just read the Word of
God. We need to believe the Bible and put its inspired
teachings into practice. The psalmist reminded us that we
are to walk in God's ways, to keep His precepts diligently,
and to seek Him with our whole heart (Ps. 119:2-4).
If we obey the Bible, we'll build on our good foundation
and improve our society...one person at a time.
The Bible: Read It, Believe It, Obey It!!
Let Us Not Forget The Cross of Christ!
By
My Youngest Son
I think we as believers need to lean more heavily
upon Christ and Him crucified and resurrected.
Yes we have a living Saviour! Do we rejoice in that?
I see people cheering for wrestling, football, basketball
and other sporting events, but very rarely do you see
a believer cheer for Jesus. Maybe we're too busy,
or maybe we just don't feel like it today. I know,
maybe we're too tired. There is no excuse for our
response to our Saviour. He gave His all and died upon
the cross for us and all we can do, is say amen once
in a while in service. We are in great need of a revival
in our churches today. In the churches where doctrine is
no longer tolerated, or the churches where it is okay to
live together before marriage, WE CANNOT COMPROMISE
THE MESSAGE, (Romans 12:1-2) says it all, I beseech
you therefore brethren by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice
holy and acceptable, which is you, reasonable service
and DO NOT be conformed to this world but be TRANSFORMED
by the renewing your mind so that you may prove
that good and perfect will of the Lord. So I beseech you
surrender all to Christ ans passionately seek after
His kingdom
God Bless You
Servant2theLord
Be Like A Bee
Read:(1 Corinthians 12:1-18)
The honeybee has one of the most highly developed social
structures in the animal kingdom. At the heart
of the hive, which may house as many as
80,000 bees, is the queen. Without her, the colony has no future.
But the 80,000 don't just sit around watching their queen.
Each bee has a specialized duty to fulfill. The forager bees
encounter the perils of the outside world to collect food.
The guard bees protect the hive entrance from intruders.
The undertakers are responsible for removing dead bodies from
the hive. The water collectors bring in moisture to regulate
humidity. The plasterers make a kind of cement to repair
the hive. And the fanners station themselves at the entrance and fan the
scent outward to signal the location of the colony to lost or
disoriented bees. The scout bees keep the hive alerted to
opportunities and dangers of the outside world. The variety
and specialization of the worker bees seem endless.
In a similar way, the Lord has given special gifts and
tasks to all the people in His church. No one has been
called merely to sit around. Everyone can do something.
The work of the church will not get done unless all of us do
what God has called us to do.
The church works best when we see ourselves
as participants, not spectators.
God has set the members,
each one of them, in the body
just as He pleased.(1 Corinthians 12:18)
Wasted Time
(Matthew 20:29-34)
You have a full day of activity lined up...washing...shopping...
errands...when your neighbor calls and invites you over for coffee.
You don't think she's a believer in Christ...any you've been praying for a chance
to talk with her.
Do you go?
Or a friend asks if you will consider being a big brother to a teenager
who desperately needs a father figure.
It will take some precious hours out of your day.
Do you do it?
Is it worth your time?
Jesus often interrupted His schedule to minister to people He met along the way.
In (Matthew 20:29-34) we read that He stopped and healed two blind men who
called for His help, ignoring the crowd that tried to keep the two quiet.
On another occasion, Jesus rebuked His disciples for keeping
little children away from Him. (Luke 18:15-17
Author Henri Nouwen mirrored this sense of service.
For the last 10 years of his life he ministered at a home for the
seriously disabled, taking 2 hours every morning to bathe, shave,
dress and feed a profoundly retarded man.
Serving a man incapable of responding may seem inefficient to us.
But when we look ate the example Jesus set...we learn that
love and service are never a waste of time!
When someone needs your help, do you seeit as an
interruption or an opportunity?
Ask God to help you today to love others
with the gift of your time!
Jesus had compassion and touched
their eyes. (Matthew 20:34)
Serve God by serving others!
Childish Or Childlike
Read:(1 Corinthians 13:8-13)
When teaching adults, Jesus talked about "childlike
faith" (Lk. 18:15-17).
In (1 Corinthians 13:11) Paul spoke of "childish" thinking.
Childish Faith
1. Good Christians don't have pain
and disappointments.
2. God wants to make us happy.
3. God always answers prayers.
4. Faith will help us always understand
what God is doing.
5. Good Christians are always strong.
Childlike Faith
1. God uses our pain and disappointments to
make us better Christians.
2. God wants to make us holy.
3. Sometimes He answers with "No" or "Wait."
4. Faith will help us to stand under God's sovereignty
even when we don't have a clue about what God is doing.
5. Our strength is in admitting our weakness.
Here is the heart of the matter: "Childish" faith is self-
centered and demanding. It expects God to shield us from
all difficulties and to make life comfortable for us.
In contrast, "childlike" faith focuses on God. It trusts Him
to use even difficulties for our good and His glory.
What kind of faith is yours?
When I became a man,
I put away childish things.(1 Corinthians 13:11)
"Childlike" faith focuses on our Heavenly Father,
not on our fear.
Copyright
2004
Liz and Living Faith
All Rights Reserved
Do Not Use Without Permission
