Prayer Week
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;.
Luke 18:1
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:36
This is prayer week. During this time, you need to focus and set your mind clear. It is important that you make a list of the things you want God to accomplish for you and in your life over the next week. Specifically writing it down is a way to chart the progress.
Faith Confession: Father thank you for hearing my prayer. I believe your word and I know that what I ask is mine.
Assignment for the week: Write down the specific things you want God to do over the next week.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
On the Lord’s Side
On the Lord’s Side
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Matthew 22:21
The Pharisees were again plotting against Jesus. They had a question for him. They were trying to trap him into saying something that would discredit him. The Pharisees wanted to silence him and make him look bad in front of the crowd. Being the hypocrites that they were they baited their trap with a compliment. "Teacher, we know that you are sincere," one of them said, "and teach the way of God in accordance with truth." Say, what? They did not believe that for a minute, but they wanted the people listening to think they were giving Jesus a fair chance.
Then they asked him a loaded question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?" If Jesus says it's all right to pay taxes to the Roman government, then he will lose face with most of his audience. For the Jewish community it was offensive to pay taxes to the hated Romans. Paying taxes was simply a way of supporting the Roman's detestable occupation. On the other hand if Jesus says it's wrong to pay taxes, then he will be in trouble with the Romans. It was a no win situation.
Jesus knew the Pharisees were trying to trap him. Fortunately he was wiser than they. He asks, "Show me the coin used for the tax." Jesus is using a subtle strategy here. One Pharisees produced a Roman coin from his pocket. Little did the Pharisee realize that in even possessing a Roman coin he already was well on the way to losing the argument. The Jewish people found the inscription on the Roman coins offensive, "Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus, Pontifex Maximus." To the Jewish people the inscription on the Roman coin was a deliberate break with the Ten Commandments that prohibit "graven images." For these and other reasons the Jewish people did not use Roman coins. They had their own temple currency. In producing a Roman coin the Pharisee showed which side he was really on.
Where we spend our resources says which side we are really on too.
Faith Confession: Father, I am yours for the using.
Assignment for the week: How has God used you recently?
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Matthew 22:21
The Pharisees were again plotting against Jesus. They had a question for him. They were trying to trap him into saying something that would discredit him. The Pharisees wanted to silence him and make him look bad in front of the crowd. Being the hypocrites that they were they baited their trap with a compliment. "Teacher, we know that you are sincere," one of them said, "and teach the way of God in accordance with truth." Say, what? They did not believe that for a minute, but they wanted the people listening to think they were giving Jesus a fair chance.
Then they asked him a loaded question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?" If Jesus says it's all right to pay taxes to the Roman government, then he will lose face with most of his audience. For the Jewish community it was offensive to pay taxes to the hated Romans. Paying taxes was simply a way of supporting the Roman's detestable occupation. On the other hand if Jesus says it's wrong to pay taxes, then he will be in trouble with the Romans. It was a no win situation.
Jesus knew the Pharisees were trying to trap him. Fortunately he was wiser than they. He asks, "Show me the coin used for the tax." Jesus is using a subtle strategy here. One Pharisees produced a Roman coin from his pocket. Little did the Pharisee realize that in even possessing a Roman coin he already was well on the way to losing the argument. The Jewish people found the inscription on the Roman coins offensive, "Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus, Pontifex Maximus." To the Jewish people the inscription on the Roman coin was a deliberate break with the Ten Commandments that prohibit "graven images." For these and other reasons the Jewish people did not use Roman coins. They had their own temple currency. In producing a Roman coin the Pharisee showed which side he was really on.
Where we spend our resources says which side we are really on too.
Faith Confession: Father, I am yours for the using.
Assignment for the week: How has God used you recently?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
God’s Word is True
God’s Word is True
Every word of God is pure:he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Proverbs 30:5
Inerrancy is a term that conveys the belief that the original writings of Scripture are wholly true in everything they teach-- whether doctrine, history, science, geography, geology, or any other discipline or knowledge. It also applies to accurate copies of those original writings. Inerrancy is an unpopular concept with some people because they believe it isn't really important. But consider the implications. No Christian would deny that our relationship to Jesus Christ is of utmost importance. How can we know Him except as He is presented in the Bible? He is our Lord and we must obey His commandments. How can we know what He commands if we doubt His Word?
Others reject inerrancy because they think it's divisive. But inerrancy should be a rallying point for evangelicals, not a dividing point. What unifying factor do we have if we can't agree on the truth of divine revelation? Still others withhold judgment on the issue, thinking it's a technical matter that is best decided by biblical scholars. On the contrary, it is the most basic of all matters. It's nothing less than asking, "Is there a sure Word from God?" Inerrancy isn't simply a matter of theological debate. It's a matter of God's character. God cannot lie; therefore His Word is true. Jeremiah 10:10 says that the Lord is the true God or the God of truth. The apostle John said, "God is true". And Jesus defined eternal life as knowing the only true God. Christ came so we might "know him that is true . . . the true God and eternal life". Don't be shaken by those who attack the integrity of Scripture. As you have opportunity, study any problem passages so you'll know first-hand what the issues and proposed solutions are. And remember, Scripture was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth. He cannot err.
Faith Confession: Father, I believe your word is true! Help me live the truth of your word.
Assignment for the week: Live like the word of God is true.
Every word of God is pure:he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Proverbs 30:5
Inerrancy is a term that conveys the belief that the original writings of Scripture are wholly true in everything they teach-- whether doctrine, history, science, geography, geology, or any other discipline or knowledge. It also applies to accurate copies of those original writings. Inerrancy is an unpopular concept with some people because they believe it isn't really important. But consider the implications. No Christian would deny that our relationship to Jesus Christ is of utmost importance. How can we know Him except as He is presented in the Bible? He is our Lord and we must obey His commandments. How can we know what He commands if we doubt His Word?
Others reject inerrancy because they think it's divisive. But inerrancy should be a rallying point for evangelicals, not a dividing point. What unifying factor do we have if we can't agree on the truth of divine revelation? Still others withhold judgment on the issue, thinking it's a technical matter that is best decided by biblical scholars. On the contrary, it is the most basic of all matters. It's nothing less than asking, "Is there a sure Word from God?" Inerrancy isn't simply a matter of theological debate. It's a matter of God's character. God cannot lie; therefore His Word is true. Jeremiah 10:10 says that the Lord is the true God or the God of truth. The apostle John said, "God is true". And Jesus defined eternal life as knowing the only true God. Christ came so we might "know him that is true . . . the true God and eternal life". Don't be shaken by those who attack the integrity of Scripture. As you have opportunity, study any problem passages so you'll know first-hand what the issues and proposed solutions are. And remember, Scripture was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth. He cannot err.
Faith Confession: Father, I believe your word is true! Help me live the truth of your word.
Assignment for the week: Live like the word of God is true.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
I will proclaim
I will proclaim
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Acts 2:17
In 1872, at the age of 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go to school. For a boy, born a slave to a plantation cook in Virginia, who had no idea who his white father was, this was a huge step. He decided that he would enter the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. With nothing more than a small satchel of clothing, he started walking from Malden, West Virginia, 500 miles away. Eventually he made it to Richmond, about eighty miles from his destination. He worked there for a few days unloading pig iron off a ship, spending his nights on the ground under an elevated board sidewalk. He continued his journey and finally reached Hampton Institute. He asked the "head teacher" for admission. Washington later recalled, "Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of admitting me as a student."
The teacher delayed a decision about Booker while she admitted other students, and he waited anxiously. Finally, she said to him, "The adjoining recitation-room needs sweeping. Take the broom and sweep it." "It occurred to me at once that here was my chance," he wrote. "Never did I receive an order with more delight. I swept the recitation-room three times. Then I got a dusting-cloth and I dusted it four times." He cleaned the walls and closets. "I had the feeling," he continued, "that in a large measure my future depended upon the impression I made upon the teacher in the cleaning of that room. When I was through, I reported to her. She was a woman who knew just where to look for dirt. She went into the room and inspected the floor and closets: then she took her handkerchief and rubbed it on the woodwork about the walls, and over the table and benches. When she was unable to find one bit of dirt on the floor, or a particle of dust on any of the furniture, she quietly remarked, `I guess you will do to enter this institution.'
"I was one of the happiest souls on earth. I have passed several examinations since then, but I have always felt that this was the best one I ever passed."
Booker T. Washington not only passed that examination, but he kept a job as a janitor to help pay his expenses. In June 1875, he graduated, on the honor roll and as one of the commencement speakers. Booker T. Washington was a dreamer who backed up his dreams with action.
Faith Confession: Father, I am a dreamer. My dreams will come true because of you.
Assignment for the week: What are our dreams? What dreams does God want us to fulfill? Will we back those dreams up with action for God's glory?
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Acts 2:17
In 1872, at the age of 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go to school. For a boy, born a slave to a plantation cook in Virginia, who had no idea who his white father was, this was a huge step. He decided that he would enter the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. With nothing more than a small satchel of clothing, he started walking from Malden, West Virginia, 500 miles away. Eventually he made it to Richmond, about eighty miles from his destination. He worked there for a few days unloading pig iron off a ship, spending his nights on the ground under an elevated board sidewalk. He continued his journey and finally reached Hampton Institute. He asked the "head teacher" for admission. Washington later recalled, "Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of admitting me as a student."
The teacher delayed a decision about Booker while she admitted other students, and he waited anxiously. Finally, she said to him, "The adjoining recitation-room needs sweeping. Take the broom and sweep it." "It occurred to me at once that here was my chance," he wrote. "Never did I receive an order with more delight. I swept the recitation-room three times. Then I got a dusting-cloth and I dusted it four times." He cleaned the walls and closets. "I had the feeling," he continued, "that in a large measure my future depended upon the impression I made upon the teacher in the cleaning of that room. When I was through, I reported to her. She was a woman who knew just where to look for dirt. She went into the room and inspected the floor and closets: then she took her handkerchief and rubbed it on the woodwork about the walls, and over the table and benches. When she was unable to find one bit of dirt on the floor, or a particle of dust on any of the furniture, she quietly remarked, `I guess you will do to enter this institution.'
"I was one of the happiest souls on earth. I have passed several examinations since then, but I have always felt that this was the best one I ever passed."
Booker T. Washington not only passed that examination, but he kept a job as a janitor to help pay his expenses. In June 1875, he graduated, on the honor roll and as one of the commencement speakers. Booker T. Washington was a dreamer who backed up his dreams with action.
Faith Confession: Father, I am a dreamer. My dreams will come true because of you.
Assignment for the week: What are our dreams? What dreams does God want us to fulfill? Will we back those dreams up with action for God's glory?
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