Let God In

Solomon – Proverbs 18:9
He also who is slack in his work
Is brother to him who destroys.

You destroy stuff when you’re lazy.

Josh – Proverbs 9:7
He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

Reprove the wise and let God handle the scoffer.

Joel – Isaiah 65:23
"They will not labor in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD,
And their descendants with them.
"It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

These verses show the benefits of salvation and trusting the Lord. Let God in.

Ouida – Titus 3:5
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Good results depend less on our righteous works and more on God’s mercy.

Gerry – Hebrews 3
For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said,
"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."
Romans 8:14
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

We will be slack in our work (at least spiritually) and fools unless we let God in. When we are His adopted children being led by His voice and His Spirit, then we experience His mercy and the results of His work.

So You and Your Children May Live

For our morning devotions, we have been trying to each share a Scripture verse and what it meant to us. If you have a particular verse and thought you would like to share put it in a comment on this blog.

Joel
Jeremiah 46:22
20"Egypt is a pretty (AU)heifer,
But a horsefly is coming (AV)from the north--it is coming!
…
22 “Its sound moves along like a serpent;
For they move on like an army
And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

Listen to God because He came to Jeremiah to give warning. If we listen to God, he will give warnings and direction.

-- Listen right.

Josh
Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

God will open doors if you acknowledge God when people praise you and include God’s direction in your planning.

-- Speak right.

Solomon

Proverbs 14:4
Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

Abundance brings work. Work brings abundance.

-- Act right

Ouida

Mark 1:41
Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

I see my need to have more compassion.

-- Think right

Gerry
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

Today’s choices are vitally important. Our life is not predetermined. God gives us real choices which lead to consequences – real blessings or real curses. But, He wants us to choose right. He begs us, “Choose life, so that you and your children may live!”

-- Chose right, chose life

“I am the way, the truth and the life.” – Jesus

True Manhood

Some of the best debates I've participated in have taken place in the absence of facts. A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. (Proverbs 18:2) On one hand, understanding means knowing the facts but another significant part of understanding is knowledge about relationships. A fool does not really care about the facts or about understanding others but only about himself and what he feels or thinks. Our sports culture embraces the goals of a fool because it is redefining masculinity to be based on three big lies that devalue understanding and relationship: athletic ability, sexual conquest and economic success.

Joe Ehrmann is a football coach who is also a minister. He coaches a winning team but their primary goal is not to win games but to develop true manhood. Here are some of his winning tips:

* Allow yourself to love and be loved. Build and value relationships.
* Accept responsibility, lead courageously, and enact justice on behalf of others. Practice the concepts of empathy, inclusion and integrity.
* Learn the importance of serving others and developing community. Base your thoughts and actions on “What can I do for you?”
* Develop a cause beyond yourself. Try to leave the world a better place because you were here.

Project: (Do at least the last two and please send a testimony about what happened)

* Find out more about “Building Men for Others” see buildingmen.org.
* Read “My Winning Strategy” Guideposts Magazine – October, 2005.
* Ask God for a true valuation of understanding others and relationships.
* Pray for God's grace to make the place where you are today a better place. (What attitude or action could you change to make it better?)

A Bride's Desire

Our daughter's wedding will be happening in a few days and I was reminded of the devotion of our young couple as I read this verse, "I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, the love of your betrothals" (Jeremiah 2:1). God will make them one as they vow before Him and many witnesses to love and support each other until death. I also remember my own vows before God to love and protect my bride. Our love has been tested by many trials and temptations and, by God's grace, has grown deeper and wider.

In the same way, each of us felt a great devotion to God when we accepted the gift of Jesus' sacrifice for our sin. At our betrothal to Jesus, our hearts were filled with love. But, have we turned that relationship into a rule book where we feel that God is happy if we just show up at a worship service three times a week, or once a week or even occasionally. Would my bride be happy if I would just say, "I love you." once a week? We all know that there is much more to a marriage relationship than just "being there".

For a relationship to grow there must be a desire and an effort to get to know each other more and more. To grow closer together, there must be common goals and objectives. As, out of love and devotion, a young wife lays down her ambitions and embraces the goals of her new husband, so should we, out of love and devotion, lay down our personal ambitions and embrace the goals of our heavenly husband -- Jesus. God desires an intimate relationship with us through the Church that He says is exemplified by the best marriage you can imagine. Have we lost our first love and devotion for Christ? Let's turn again to our Divine Lover and renew the offering of our body and life to Him just as it was given to Him at our immersion into Him. Let's plead for and earnestly seek to have a bride's desire for daily, growing intimacy with our Creator, Father, Husband and Lover.

Project: (Join me in this)
Ask God how you can grow closer to Him in the next few months.
Expect Him to somehow reveal a specific answer.
By His grace -- DO IT.

FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5)

My Turf or God's Turf

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Just recently, one of my older children and I had a little blockage in our relationship. So, I sought out an opportunity to find out why I was getting the “cold shoulder”. I knew what incident had caused the problem but I thought that I had done the right thing in the situation. There were several people involved in this misunderstanding and, strangely enough, I thought I was one of the few who had responded correctly. But, what I began to hear was that my approach in trying to help had come across as an attempt by a parent to be controlling and had been perceived as an ultimatum.

My initial response to these comments was to defend myself and to point out what I felt were the problems that justified my approach. This did not help matters. A silence fell in the room. As I silently began praying that God would guide me and give me wisdom how to respond, it came to mind that I should look at the situation from the perspective of the one receiving my advice. We all know this approach but it is difficult to actually apply it. After trying to imagine how it would have felt for me to call me and say what I did, I began to comprehend a little of how I had caused pain. Finally, I realized that defending myself was only continuing to contribute to the problem. Everyone involved had made mistakes but my mistakes were my responsibility. I wanted the others to be asking for forgiveness but God wanted me to humble myself and admit my attempt to be controlling.

If we each defend our turf, then all we get is higher walls. Other people’s mistakes are not my primary responsibility. There is only one person I can change and I won’t change until I begin to admit to and ask forgiveness for my “tiny” failures. In these situations, I am always tempted to defend my failures even as I admit to them. But, my admission of failure won’t mean much as long as I continue to defend my actions or words. We all want the other person to say, “You’re right. I made a mistake. Please, forgive me for causing you to feel …..” God is calling each of us to lay down all our justifications and be that person. If we will humble ourselves and give up our "turf" to God then He will hear, pardon and heal.

The Mark of a Man

“The world cries for men who are strong – strong in conviction, strong to lead, to stand, to suffer. I pray that you will be that kind of man.”

These words were written by Elisabeth Elliot to her nephew Pete. They set forth an uncompromising challenge for men to accept their divinely ordained role of manliness. But what does masculinity really mean in a time when we are careful to emphasize the equality of men and women? In the book, “The Mark of a Man”, Elisabeth examines the many characteristics of manhood that were exemplified in the life of Christ. The following is an excerpt from that book. This is from one of the last chapters of the book. The preceding chapters reveal how Jesus' life demonstrated the distinctive traits of responsibility, sacrifice, courage, obedience, initiative, forgiveness, and endurance. Men who seek to follow him must walk the same path.

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There are five ways you can help that woman who will be your wife be the woman you want her to be.

First off, be a man. I’ve said that in a hundred ways, but I’ll say it again. You expect her to be a real woman, but you can’t expect that if you’re not a real man. It is in response to the fullest expression of your manliness that she will be most womanly. When she’s not living up to your expectations, check yourself out first. Are you taking the lead as you ought to, with an attitude of humility and submission to Christ? Are you remembering that you’re the one responsible for her?

Second, make her glad she’s a woman. One way to do this is to notice things. An honest compliment can make her light up. So she hasn’t got the figure of Farreh Fawcett, but does she carry herself beautifully? Say so. Has she pretty hands? Tell her. Another way is to be courteous. Courtesy is a way of reminding each other that you’re a gentleman and a lady. No matter how “old shoe” you both like to be – casual, unstructured, simple, sincere, “just me,” or whatever – you’ll be surprised what pleasures will unfold if you treat each other with a little special consideration. I’ve already mentioned some of the specifics: Pull out her chair for her at the table, open a door. Keep on remembering the little things after you’re married. They often have a way of vanishing, one by one, as familiarity breeds slobbism. Get up some morning, make the coffee, and bring a cup to her in bed, with a daisy or a book on the tray. She’ll be amazed.

Lars knows how to make me glad I’m a woman. Gradually and patiently he showed himself a gentleman and made me feel like a lady, during courting days, but the lever that finally tipped the rock was his saying to me one day, “I’m going to be the one building the fences around you, and I’m going to stand on all sides.”

Third, understand that leadership is for her help and redemption and be willing to take charge. That includes not making excuses when you fail. It includes spiritual headship in your home. Many men feel that their wives are more spiritually minded, more sensitive to God, more religious, than they are. Therefore they defer to them in the matter of family prayer. They shouldn’t. Even if you believe your wife to be your spiritual superior, you are the appointed priest in your home. You need not compete with her. You certainly don’t have to preach a sermon at breakfast every morning. Just take the lead in reading a portion of the Bible or the Daily Light, that wonderful collection of Scripture verses for morning and evening. Lead in prayer. Let it be as simple as you want, but pray. Ruth Graham said she believes if a husband will pray for his wife and the things she is going to do that day, and if the wife prays for her husband and the things he is going to do, that marriage will be strengthened as the years go by. There is no calculating the influence on the children when their father, by daily example, leads them to God.

Fourth, love her with the love described in 1 Corinthians. Try putting your own name in place of the word love: Pete is slow to lose patience, has good manners, knows no limit to his endurance…” How does it work?

Last, remember that you are heirs together of the grace of life. This is one of the great equalities of the Bible, that men and women are all the recipients of the grace that is greater than all our sin. It will cover her sins against you. It will cover your sins against her. It will cover your past and hers. It will cover everything in the future.

In the realm of the operation of grace, distinctions of nationality, social status, and sex are gone. There is no longer Jew and Greek, slave and free man, male and female. And as there is no differentiation between male and female in their both bearing the image of God and in being morally responsible to Him, so there is no differentiation in their being the objects of God’s grace. But as they bear the image of the earthly differently (in different physical bodies), so they bear the image of the heavenly differently: the woman in response, the man in initiation.
-- Elisabeth Elliot "The Mark of a Man"

Project:
Read the book [Click here to order the book]

Blog for Teachers

This blog has some great ideas for how to teach the Bible.

http://www.teachtochangelives.blogspot.com/

Here are some headings from the articles

* Using Other People's Lessons with Integrity .
* Using Great Language
* Read the New Testament in Less than a Month
* What Happens When We Don't Teach Well
* Free teaching tips by email
* Fun exercise with mature believers
* What are your students thinking about?.
* Remember Who is Doing the Real Work.
* Teachers as Leaders.

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Cut It Off and Throw It From You

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

As a Christian, have you considered what one thing you could do that would transform your personal life, family and marriage? Would you like more time, creativity and productivity? This will add an average of ten productive years to your life while allowing you to energize your most important relationships. Nearly 99% of households are victims of a misplaced trust.

When we have talked to couples about how to improve their marriage relationships, we have found that they frequently need more time to relate. Yet, almost 66% of Americans watch television while eating dinner. And in relating to our children, it has been found that more than half of 4-6 year olds would rather watch television than relate to their Dad. This is while studies have shown that children spend less than four minutes each week in meaningful conversation with their parents. Maybe, as a Dad, I need to have surround sound and do a commercial every few minutes.

I have been and could be just as much a television addict as anyone. But, years ago, we felt God was leading us to get rid of it. It wasn’t easy, but once it was out of the house, amazing things began to happen. One of those things was that our sons began to be readers. They sometimes became almost too creative. When we tell our story, it seems like many wives would like to get rid of the television but their husband won’t give up their televised sports. Could this verse apply? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

We are voluntarily giving up our energy, time and relationships to this one-eyed serpent. How many wonderful goals and plans have been sacrificed on the altar of the Game of the Week, the History Channel and “Good Morning, America”. It doesn’t much matter what we get out of it because it is costing too much. It feeds us the food of worldly conformity while stealing the opportunity for our future to be transformed. So, if your television causes you to sin, cut it off.

"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.” -- Jesus

Project:
Commit to no television during meals.
Ask God for His perspective and will.

Percentage of households that have a television: 99
Number of TV sets in the average U.S. household: 2.24
Percentage of U.S. homes with three or more TV sets: 66
Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes
Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66
Number of hours of TV watched annually by Americans: 250 billion
Value of that time assuming an average wage of S5/hour: S1.25 trillion
Percentage of Americans who pay for cable TV: 56
Number of videos rented daily in the U.S.: 6 million
Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million
Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49

II CHILDREN
Approximate number of studies examining TV's effects on children: 4,000
Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful
conversation with their children: 3.5
Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children's TV watching: 73
Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV
and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54
Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500

III VIOLENCE
Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000
Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000
Percentage of Americans who believe TV violence helps precipitate real life mayhem: 79

IV. COMMERCIALISM
Number of 30-second TV commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
Number of TV commercials seen by the average person by age 65: 2 million
Percentage of survey participants (1993) who said that TV commercials
aimed at children make them too materialistic: 92
Rank of food products/fast-food restaurants among TV advertisements to kids: 1
Total spending by 100 leading TV advertisers in 1993: $15 billion

V. GENERAL
Percentage of local TV news broadcast time devoted to advertising: 30
Percentage devoted to stories about crime, disaster and war: 53.8
Percentage devoted to public service announcements: 0.7
Percentage of Americans who can name The Three Stooges: 59
Percentage who can name at least three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: 17
Compiled by TV-Free America
1322 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 887-4036

Don't Love Me So Much

“I'll see what GOD will say to me this time.” (Numbers 22:19)

Balaam could see a great treasure coming if only God would let him go and curse the Israelites. But, God had already said, “No.” Now Balaam comes yet again and even though there had been basically zero change in the situation, Balaam asks God to give direction because he was hoping God would change His mind. And, God appeared to. But, it was not in order for Balaam to get what he wanted. Rather, God sent Balaam to bless rather than curse His people. If we insist on our own way, God will let us go there. But, we will not reap the results we anticipated.

Most of us have, at one time or another badgered or tricked our parents or other authority into changing their minds and letting us do something that we were excited about. Children may feel like their parents don’t want them to have fun or don’t “trust them”. But, once I became a parent, my perspective suddenly broadened. A parent’s love leads them to try to cause their children to suffer the loss of friends and activities that would be damaging to the child. Unless the child always gets his way, it is inevitable that a parent will have to suffer their child’s misunderstanding. Even when a child succeeds in doing an “end run” around their parents, the result will not be what they had hoped for. One result is usually that the fooled parent will eventually find out about the trick and then the level of trust will be even lower.

After becoming a parent and raising children, I had a much different perception of my parent’s love for me. One example is the time I had my heart set on getting a motorcycle and my Dad said “No, I won’t sign your death certificate.” I pouted about that for a long time. After becoming a parent, I had a new perspective on the incident and I felt I had to go to my parents and express gratefulness for their protection from bad decisions that I wanted to make. I have also asked forgiveness for sins that I had tried to hide from them.

How many children get angry and leave home to escape their parent’s authority so they can make genuinely healthy choices? I haven’t seen many. There are a few abusive parents who may be ordering their children into sin. But, the great majority of parents are motivated by a sacrificial love for their children. They are even willing to sacrifice their child’s understanding, friendship and love in order to protect that child. Of course, parents also make mistakes and can be overly protective. Yet, we should appreciate their good intentions and respect their burden of responsibility. Sometimes God or even a parent will love us more than we love ourselves and we don't realize that we may end up actually saying, "Don't love me so much."

Project:
Express gratefulness to your parents.
Confess and ask forgiveness for wrong responses to their love. (Be specific)
Let's sincerely commit ourselves to seeking and doing God's will.
Let's Ask God for an alarm to go off in our spirit when we are beginning to demand our own way.
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