dW 02.13.09

 

scripture

 

Psalm 23

 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

 

En Espanol

 

quote

 

When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.

Corrie Ten Boom

dW 02.09.09

 

scripture

 

1 John 3:4-6

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

 

En Espanol

 

quote

 

Men love everything but righteousness and fear everything but God.

Vance Havener

dW 02.06.08

 

A friend sent this Our Daily Bread entry to me this morning. I enjoyed it and wanted to forward it on for your edification as well. -Kyle

 

You, being dead in your trespasses, . . . He has made alive together with Him. —Colossians 2:13

 

On February 6, 1958, a chartered plane carrying most of the members of the English football (soccer) club Manchester United crashed on takeoff from Munich, Germany. With so many of their star players lost, some despaired over prospects for the club’s survival. Yet today it is one of the best-known teams in the world. Fittingly, the man who rebuilt the team, Matt Busby, survived the crash himself.

 

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus’ arrest and subsequent crucifixion caused many of His followers to despair. The disciples themselves had lost hope. But their despondency evaporated on that first Easter morning when they found that the stone sealing the tomb had been moved aside (John 20:1). Jesus had risen!

 

Jesus soon appeared to Mary Magdalene (vv.11-16) and then to His disciples, who had gathered behind locked doors (v.19). His visit brought a remarkable change in them. As one version renders it, they were “overjoyed” (v.20 NIV).

 

Perhaps your world has crashed around you. It may be a deeply personal loss, a tragedy in your family, or some other great trial. Jesus’ resurrection proved that He is greater than the greatest obstacles. He can rebuild your life—as He did with His disciples—starting today.  — C. P. Hia

 

He rose! And with Him hope arose, and life and light. Men said, “Not Christ, but death, died yesternight.” And joy and truth and all things virtuous rose when He rose. —Anon.

 

God can turn any difficulty into an opportunity.

 

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/02/06/devotion.aspx

 

dW 02.04.09

 

scripture

 

Philippians 1:21

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

 

quote

 

Jesus wants full access to all areas of your life. Don’t tell Him that He cannot go into that room. “Oh, Jesus let’s stay in the living room. You don’t want to see what’s in my bedroom. Don’t go into my office.” If it is like that, then you need to clean house! Nothing needs to be hidden from Him because He already knows. Furthermore, He already died and rose again so that He can erase those wrongs and hurts within your life. Do not fear accusation from Jesus! Open up your arms and let His forgiveness embrace you.

Pastor Martin Lewis, (paraphrase from today’s sermon during college hour)

 

thoughts

 

I am asked to attend College Hour at the university a certain amount during each semester. On Wednesdays I take a long lunch to attend the service. I enjoy the variety within the service. At times it is soft and mellow, and at times it is loud and boisterous. I am learning that worship, which is not just singing but preaching also, does not just require our presence. Worship is a participatory exercise that takes advantage of all our senses. Today we raised our hands, we shouted during the music, gave the preacher an amen when we felt it, and we turned to our neighbors to hug one another. And I thought, “Boy, if this doesn’t light your fire, then your logs have got to be wet”.

dW 02.02.09

 

scripture

 

John 10:7-10

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

 

En Espanol

 

quote

 

Jesus came to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

-unknown

dW 01.30.08

 

thoughts

 

What picture could most accurately illustrate bad communication?

Maybe this picture?


How's this picture?


What about this picture?


Anyway, you get the picture. Bad communication starts out small and can build up very quickly, enough to where it becomes out of control and hard to fix.

 

scripture

 

Matthew 5:25

Jesus said, “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison”.

 

En Espanol

 

Ephesians 4:26-27

“In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

 

En Espanol

 

thoughts (continued)

 

Communication isn't easy. No one is necessarily good at it. It takes practice and hard work.

dW 01.28.09

 

scripture

 

1 Chronicles 16: 23-27

Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.

 

En Espanol

 

quote

 

I often quote myself, it adds spice to my conversation.

George Bernard Shaw

 

Johnny the Baptizer

Johnny the Baptizer

 

 

Matt. 18:4-5

Jesus said, “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”

 

Johnny's mother looked out the window and noticed him 'playing church' with their cat. He had the cat sitting quietly and he was preaching to it.

She smiled and went about her work.

 

A while later she heard loud meowing and hissing and ran back to the open window to see Johnny baptizing the cat in a tub of water.

She called out, 'Johnny, stop that! The cat is afraid of water!'

 

Johnny looked up at her and said,

'He should have thought about that before he joined my church.'

 

dW 01.23.09

 

scripture

 

1 Corinthians 1:18-19

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." (Isaiah 29:14)

 

En Espanol

 

quote

 

Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people! 

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. 

Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle. 

Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.

- Phillips Brooks

dW 01.21.09

 

scripture

 

2 Peter 1:3

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

 

Rom.8:16-17, 32

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory… He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

 

En Espanol

 

quote

 

With all this limitless resource to inherit in this life (resources of the Bible, of the Spirit, of the community of believers), why then, O why, do we settle for minimum spirituality? These scriptures just quoted shatter all our excuses for carnal Christianity and explode all our feeble bumper-sticker excuses on bumper-sticker evangelism: "Christians are not perfect, just forgiven." Some backslider must have written that one.

 

Leonard Ravenhill, What Do I Still Lack?