Re: curlyboisvert Gems

Admin Sat 09 Mar 2013, 7:04 pm

''Our Father Who art in heaven''/ so we recognise
who He is-the person of God.
''Hallowed be Thy name''/ Worship of God for
who He is.
''Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done''.
Seek and do God's will. His word is the way
to find His will.
'' Give us this day our daily bread''/Ask God to meet
your every day needs in order to perform.
''Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those
who trespass against us''
Ask God for pardon and forgiveness and the
strength and love to forgive others.
''Do not lead us into temptation''
Ask for protection from the evils of temptation.
''For Thine is The Kingdom and The Power and The Glory''
Praise God for who He is.

'Father God' We do appreciate The Lord's Prayer.
So many times in life we are able to recite it in
moments of need and praise. We thank You for
being our heavenly Father, since our earthly
father lacked some parenting skills that young
people need. We find You a great support and
encouragement for us in times of need. with
You we are never alone.
Amen.

Admin Wed 06 Feb 2013, 5:25 pm

Matthew 18:15-35
New International Version (NIV)

Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If your brother or sister[a

] sins,[b] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[c] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[d

] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[f

]

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[g

]was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[h

] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Dealing with Sin
''If I ignore it, maybe it will go away'' Too often
we think that way about something unpleasant,
or even about something sinful. Sin breaks our
relationship with God and others. The way to
deal with sin is to acknowledge it, ask God for
forgiveness , and turn away from the sinful
act or thought.
there can be no greater joy than to know
God has forgiven our sins because of'Jesus'
death on the cross. And as for given people,
we need to also be great forgivers.
Holding grudges is in opposition to forgiveness.
We must forgive others just as God has
forgiven us.

Lord' Sometimes it is very difficult not to
bear grudges and to keep on reminding
ourselves of how hurt we are by keep
going over things and never letting go.
We all sin and fall very short of Your
expectations. All things done in sin is
sin, no black, white, or grey.' Lord'
Fill us full of ''Thy Holy Spirit'' that we
live each day in a good light.

In Jesus name we ask it.
Amen.

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11] [a

]

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

We are all important to God.

Self-importance is a dangerous a dangerous

condition. Often when we want to be the biggest

or the best, we really show that we're afraid

of being forgotten. We don't want people to

ignore us, so we try to be ahead of others.

We need to be more concerned about what

God thinks of us instead of our peers.

Because God cares for all of His children-

including the poor, the weak, and the

ignorant- we must care for them also. Our

natural desire is to associate with

important people, and ignore those who

are not. Let's fight this impulse and care

for those who are weak.

Lord' We ask that You would take away

our self-importance and ego's. Give us

a concern for all peoples whatever race,

gender, strengths, weaknesses, and

disabilities. We all sin and none are

innocent. Thank You that You do love

all of Your children and that You do

forgive us.

Amen.

Admin Mon 04 Feb 2013, 11:38 am

The Transfiguration
17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials[a

]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said.“Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man[b

] has been raised from the dead.”
10 Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?[c

]”
11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.

Setting aside Glory.

Jesus looked like any other man, except for

this one time. On the mountain He showed

His divine Majesty for a moment to Peter,

James and John. He was not trying to impress

them; He wanted them to understand that

He meant it when He said He was going to

die for people's sins.

Everything Jesus did on earth was part of

putting aside His divine glory in order to

to show us the way to God. Once we believe

that Jesus died for us, we have to begin to

live like He did. Christians are supposed to

put others ahead of self. We, too, set

aside our ''glory'' to help others in need.

Lord' Take away our selfish ways

and put on Your mantle.

Amen.

That Which Defiles
15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a

] and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’[c]”

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d

] If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

False ceremonies; True realities.

Jesus felt that some religious leaders had lost

touch with the purpose of God's laws. Some taught

that it was okay to neglect your parents if you

gave big gifts to the temple. Others had become

obsessed with food preparation and washing dishes.

God cares for people more than buildings, and He's

more concerned about what comes out of our

hearts than what goes into our mouths.

Our worship of God should always promote the

realities of love and purity.

Lord' You said in Your Word That You store up

sound wisdom for the upright. Help us to walk

uprightly, righteously, and obediently to Your

commands. May we never be wise in our own

eyes, but may we always fear You. keep us

from evil so we can claim the health and strength

Your Word promises.

Give us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding,

direction, and discernment we need to keep us

away from the plans of evil so that I will walk

safely and not stumble. Lord' We know that

in You are hidden all the treasures of wisdom

and knowledge. Help us to discover those

treasures.

Amen.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus cares for our needs.

Do you talk to God about the needs of your life?

Jesus new the needs of the crowd who followed Him.

The disciples spoke to Jesus about their need for food,

so He used the small amount they had to feed many.

Go just doesn't hand over whatever we asked for.

Many times He takes care of our needs in ways we

do not expect.

We should keep our eyes open for the unexpected.

We can delight in the creative ways God cares for us.

Lord' each and every day you provide

for us, our food, water, heat and all

the beauty of the earth.

When we sometimes grumble we need

this or that, it is not really a need, just

us wanting. We understand You know it

is not good for us to have all our own way.

As He knows what is good for us and

what is not. Wonderful saviour, help

us to learn Your ways, and to make

a little to go far, not to be greedy, and

ask for what we don't need, but

Fill us full of Your Holy Spirit.

We ask these things in Your Holy name.

Amen.

Admin Tue 29 Jan 2013, 10:51 pm

Woe on Unrepentant Towns

20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[a
] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
The Father Revealed in the Son

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

People reject Jesus

It is easy to become comfortable with our routines
and establish traditions, When change comes along,
as it usually does, we feel threatened. The people
Jesus is addressing had their set traditions.
Then Jesus comes along with a dynamic message
that ''threatened'' their comfort level.
People that are unhappy are often more open
to change. If we are doing well in our lives,
we should remind ourselves of our poverty
before God.
Material wealth will not last forever.

Lord' Help us to not be insecure in our lives.
Let us not be stuck with tradition and the
Usual things. Please keep us with a mind
that talks and listens to You. Give us power
Lord to be able to be as Jesus' disciples
were, and go out and be not afraid to
talk of You to others.
Lord' please do not let us become
complacent and in a rut, open up our
minds to Your wisdom and Love, and
fill us full of Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus name we ask .
Amen.

Admin Mon 28 Jan 2013, 11:33 am

*Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man*

9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some

men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their

faith, he said to the man,“Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow

is blaspheming!”

4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts

in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to

say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has

authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralized man, “Get

up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When

the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who

had given such authority to man.

*Jesus restores Humanity.*

Jesus often teaches us to experience times of pain

and suffering. We may wonder why Jesus healed

the man in these verses by saying his sins were

forgiven. After all what had that poor man's need

had to do with his sins? probably nothing directly.

But Jesus wanted people to understand His

ministry. which was to heal souls. The amazing

healing of bodies were signs of Jesus' purpose-

to save us from the ugly effects of sin. The source

of our problems is often not our physical aches

and pains. Our real problem is our sinful nature.

Only Jesus can heal us of this disease.

*Make our hearts right before You.*

Lord' ''wash us thoroughly from our iniquities,

and cleanse us from our sin'' ''cleanse us

from our secret faults. We realize that You

are a God who ''knows the secrets of the

heart"". Show us the places in our life

where we harbour sin in thoughts, words,

and actions that we have not recognized.

Examine our souls and expose our motives

to reveal what we need to understand.

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

heal every disease and sickness.

²These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

⁵These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

⁹“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— ¹⁰no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. ¹¹Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. ¹²As you enter the home, give it your greeting. ¹³If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

¹⁶“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Jesus needed only a few.

Many times an army's success depends on on
discipline than a large number of soldiers.
A mob is not an army. Jesus knew He could
accomplish His goal with a handful of ernest
people. So He chose twelve very carefully
and He taught them.
We need to be well to be well informed and
disciplined , too. God wants us to know
His Word. Reading scripture on a regular
basis teaches us what we need to know
about God, His kingdom, and His mercy.

Lord' we draw close to You today,
grateful that You will draw near to
us as You have promised in Your
Word. We long to dwell in Your
presence and we want to know You
in every way You can be known. Teach
us what we need in order to know You
better. We don't want to be
people who are always learning
and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth. We want to
know the truth about who You are,
from Your Word because we know
You are near all who call upon You
in truth.

Amen.

Matthew 9:32-34

³²As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.

³³And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

³⁴But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

Orthodox unbelief.

''Orthodox'' is a word that comes from two words
meaning ''right thinking''. ''The Pharisees who
criticised Jesus in verse 34 were thought to be
Orthodox, but in reality they were not. They
may have followed the laws on the outside, but
in their hearts their were anything but Orthodox.
On of the baffling facts is such ''authorities'' can
be enemies of the truth revealed in God's word.
we should be respectful of those in authority,
as Jesus Himself commanded, but we also need
to put our faith in God's promises because
we know He never lies.

Lord' We pray you would bring righteous
leaders, leaders that are making the the
right decisions for our country and not
using the laws to suit their own lifestyles.
Give wisdom to each one of them. Destroy
the holds and plans of the enemy in this
country and for this country. protect
our military leaders and the troops where
ever they are. Give them revelation,
guidance, and favour.
Pour out Your peace on our nations.

In and for Your Holy name
Amen.

Admin Sun 27 Jan 2013, 10:07 am

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. ²When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

³He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. ⁵Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? ⁶I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’^[a

] you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁹Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,¹⁰and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

¹¹He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?¹²How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

¹³Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. ¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

God’s Chosen Servants.

¹⁵Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. ¹⁶He warned them not to tell others about him. ¹⁷This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,

the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

¹⁹

He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.

²⁰

A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.

²¹

In his name the nations will put their hope.”^{[b
]}

Jesus and Beelzebub

²²Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. ²³All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

²⁴But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

²⁵Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶If Satandrives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? ²⁷And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁸But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²⁹“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

³⁰“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ³¹And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³²Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

³³“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.³⁵A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

³⁹He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹The men of Ninevehwill stand up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴²The Queen of the South will rise at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.

The Pharisees were fault finders.

Many Pharisees were hard to please. All they could think

all they could think about were their precious customs.

They were proud because they though their ancestors

had done great things for God. Often the Pharisees seemed

to spend their time finding fault with others. They may

have even resented Jesus when He said that the

true meaning of the Sabbath is to give rest and help

to others. We must be cautious of the kind of ''religion''

that mainly finds fault and is proud of how rules are kept.

Keeping God's commandments is good, but are we

taking care of those in need.?

O God' We ask in Your Holy name

that we do everything to benefit

helping those that need help and

not do things just for the sake of

showing off. When we pray, let

it be in our quiet place, and not

in front and out loud for show.

Let Your Love flow into us and

through us, to give us strength

to always help those that need help.

Fill us with Thy Holy Spirit and keep

our flame burning.

In Jesus' Holy name.

Amen.

Admin Sun 20 Jan 2013, 11:00 am

Matthew 4

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ²After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”

⁷Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ⁹“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[e]”

¹¹Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Temptations

People have been tempted since the time of Adam and Eve.

Even Jesus was tempted. He, however, fought the devil's offer and won.
Satan's lie is that he is almighty and we can't overcome his destructive
ways. At times we don't recognise that our thoughts or actions are being
prompted by satan.
Some of the ways the devil lures us into his trap are over importance
of material things, and following false teaching and gods. Jesus knows
when we are faced with a tempting situation. and He knows that we can't
fight our battle with sin all alone, so He is with us. We can only rely on
The Bible to know what is true.

Father' We ask that You help us find all that is true,
All that is kind, All that is Your true word.
Give us reconciliation in this the start of another
New Year. Lord help us to share, not only food
and succour to our brothers and sisters, but share
Your Word, the Word that will bring them everlasting
life.
For we ask it in and for Jesus Christ.
Amen

Jesus Calms the Storm

²³Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.²⁴Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

²⁷The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

New World perspective.

The world we know today is sometimes a frightening

place, with its storms of poverty, crime, sickness and

suffering. The disciples feared the wind and the waves.

They knew these natural forces were out of their control.

But they did not understand that Jesus is Lord of all,

including storms.

Jesus is Lord over everything that frightens us.

Ours fears are quieted when we resognize that

He is the one in control.

What storms may be raging in your life?

Lord' You are our refuge and a very present help

in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though

the earth be removed and though the mountains

be carried to the midst of the sea.

Protect us from the plans of evil people and keep

us from sudden danger. Be merciful to us,'O God',

be merciful to us! For our soul trusts in You;

and in the shadow of wings we will take our refuge.

Thank You that we will lie down in peace, and sleep,

for You alone 'O Lord', make us dwell in safety.

Thank You for Your promises of protection.

Amen

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

¹³Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴He appointed twelve^[a

] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach ¹⁵and to have authority to drive out demons. ¹⁶These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), ¹⁷James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), ¹⁸Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot ¹⁹and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Twelve special Sudents

Jesus chose 12 men to be with with Him so that

they could learn by sharing daily life with Him.

By associating with Jesus, they became like Him

and were able to go out and tell the good news

on their own.

We become more like Jesus when we spend time

with Him in prayer and listening to what He has to

say to us in the Bible.

Lord' may Your word remind us of who You are

and how much You Love us. May it bring the security

of knowing our lives are in Your hands and You will

supply all our needs. Thank You Lord that You do supply

all our needs. Thank You Lord, that when we look into

Your word we find You. Give us ears to recognise Your

voice speaking to us every we read it.

When we hear Your voice and follow You, our life

is full. When we get off the path You have for us,

our lives are empty. Guide, perfect, and fill us

with Your Word this day and always.

Amen.

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

(Mark 2:13-17 ESV)

Jesus rescued People.

Levi was another name for Matthew, who was a tax collector.
Tax collectors were hated by everybody because they served
the government of the Roman tyrants and their pay was based
on how much they collected.
But Jesus loved this tax collector in fact Jesus loved a lot of unpopular
people.
Thinking we are better than other people is very dangerous.
Can you think of some people that are unpopular who need
your love?
You don't have to approve of their behaviour in order to reach
out to them.
curlyboisvert Gems B0C

Lord' Show us what You want us to do to be a
blessing to everyone especially someone unloved
and rejected. We don't want to get so wrapped up in
our own life we don't see an opportunity for
ministering Your life to those around us. Show us
what You want us to do and
enable us to do it.
Give us all we need to minister life, hope, help
and healing to others.
Make us one of Your faithful intercessors, and
teach us how to pray in Your power. Help us
to make a big a big difference in the world because
You are working through us to touch lives for Your
glory.
May our greatest treasure always be to serve You.
In and for Your Holy name
Amen.
curlyboisvert Gems 03D

Admin Sat 05 Jan 2013, 11:25 am

¹³When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

¹⁴So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,¹⁵where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”^[c]

¹⁶When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. ¹⁷Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

¹⁸“A voice is heard in Ramah,

weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more

Living in God's Time.

The prophet that is quoted in verse 15 is Hosea.
His words, spoken centuries before Matthew's time,
referred to the rescue of God's ''Son''
(The people of Israel) from Egypt from
15 hundred years before Christ was born.
But the prophet's words also referred in
the future when God would bring the
young Jesus-God's Son-out of Egypt.
It is encouraging to see in these events
that nothing can stand in the way of
God's plans.
All time is a part of God's plan for taking
care of those who believe in and Love Him.

Lord' We thank You and praise You
for all the time You give to us. You give us time to
get to know You and gradually get to know You.
You determine our life and give us courage
to do and say things to Your glory.
In this New year 2013 we ask that You
give us even more courage, to face the
difficulties that are going to come.
Fill us full of Your Holy Spirit, that we can
share Your Love to those that don't yet
know you.

In and for the name of Jesus we ask it.

Amen.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ²and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”^[a]

⁴John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

John the Baptist was surprised when Jesus came to The Jordan River

to be Baptised. John knew who Jesus was and he didn't feel worthy

of performing this task. But Jesus insisted that John Baptised Him

because that was God's plan.

Jesus did not come to earth to be a demanding dictator, He came

to do the opposite of what everyone expects from a leader-He served

others we often try to be " number one,'' but Jesus warns us that

the first will be last in new Kingdom. Being the '' best'' by our

standard isn't as great as we think....

Love

Leave out the me, the mine and the I,

Only say to help and encourage, ''I'll try''

Very soon loves labour will reap it's reward,

Every child who is called will com to its Lord.

curlyboisvert Gems 1505546

Admin Wed 09 May 2012, 4:58 pm

Joshua 3

New International Version (NIV)

Crossing the Jordan

3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. ²After three days the officers went throughout the camp, ³giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. ⁴Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits^[a] between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

⁵Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

⁶Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

⁷And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. ⁸Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

⁹Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. ¹⁰This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. ¹¹See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. ¹²Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth —set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap. ”

¹⁴So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. ¹⁵Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, ¹⁶the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

An Unusual Ally
God was about to do some new and amazing
things for his people as they were entering
the land of Canaan.
Joshua prepared the Israelites and told them
and told them God would stop the waters
of the Jordan River so they could cross.
Today some people have suggested that an
earthquake caused a natural dam upstream,
which is why the river stopped flowing just as
the priests started to cross the Jordan.
whether this actually happened or not,
the event is still a great example of one
of the many dramatic events instances
when God ordered a natural event to help
His people people. When there seems to be
"no way" for us, we can remember the priests
at Jordan. Our rescue may not be as dramatic
as this example , but God will make a way for us.
Lord, Some times our problems overwhelm
us and we try to struggle on in our own way, we
seem to not come to You until the waters are
lapping over us. Forgive us Lord, and teach us
to tell You everything that worries us, and not
forget to thank You for the great and wonderful
things You do without our asking.
Our many thanks to You.
Amen.

Admin Mon 07 May 2012, 9:11 pm

Joshua 2‏Rahab and the Spies

2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho. ” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

²The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” ³So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

⁴But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. ⁵At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” ⁶(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) ⁷So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

⁸Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof ⁹and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. ¹⁰We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea^[a] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.^[b] ¹¹When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

¹²“Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign ¹³that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them —and that you will save us from death.”

¹⁴“Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”

¹⁵So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. ¹⁶She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”

¹⁷Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us ¹⁸unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. ¹⁹If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. ²⁰But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear. ”

²¹“Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”
So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

²²When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. ²³Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. ²⁴They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

An unusual Ally.

God was not pleased with prostitution in biblical times

any more than He is now. So why did the spies stop at

the house of Rahab, a known prostitute ? Since the spies

were seeking information, they may have felt it was a safe

place to gather facts without being questioned in return.

Perhaps the nature of Rahab's business made her home

the only place strangers could stay without attracting

attention. Whatever the reason, The Lord knew Rahab's

heart was open to Him and He used her to help the

Iraelites win the victory over Jericho.

Rahab's story shows that God will help us when we

want too start doing right. No matter how we have

sinned in the past, God can help us if we surrender

to Him.

Lord, We love Your word and know that You hear us

when we submit ourselves completely to You. You

know our going out and coming in. I ask that all my

friends have healing and the complete knowledge

and understanding of You. We pray that Sandi's friend

is not in too much pain and that You will give the

family comfort and healing. We pray for Vicky's

daughter Jenny, that the trouble she has at the

moment, will soon be resolved and that the boys

will not be too upset. We thank You for the safe

arrival of baby William, and that he will bring blessings

Thankyou for listening Lord.

Amen.

Joshua Installed as Leader

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ²“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them —to the Israelites. ³I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁴Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates —all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

⁷“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

¹⁰So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: ¹¹“Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”

¹²But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, ¹³“Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ ¹⁴Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them ¹⁵until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. ¹⁸Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous! ”

The Secret To Success

After Moses died, Joshua became the leader
of the Israelites. The pressure of this new
responsability was great. he was to lead more
than two million people into a foreign land
to conquer and claim it as their own.
Joshua could have easily become afraid
or discouraged as he thought about his
opposition.
But The Lord promised to be with him. He
encouraged Joshua to be strong, brave,
and obedient.
The secret of true success, then and now,
is complete obedience to God. We must
believe that God is with us in every experince.
As we obey His word, He will give us the
the courage we need to face whatever
challenges come our way.
New experiences can be frightening,
but with God leading our lives, these
challenges can be thrilling and rewarding.

Lord, help us to hear Your voice saying,
This is the way, walk in it. Speak to us
from Your word so that we will have
understanding. Show us any area in our
lives where we are not right on target.
If there is something we should be doing,
reveal it to us so that we can correct our
course. We want to do only what You
want us to do and go only where You
want us to go. we know we are not to
direct our own steps.
We want to move into all You have
for us and become and all You made
us to be by walking in Your perfect
will for our life now.
Thankyou Lord.

Amen.

Admin Sat 25 Feb 2012, 9:18 pm

²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! [/size]

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^[b] ³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
³⁶ a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’^[c]
³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.

Christ' is obviously saying "Put me first in everything".
I have a very troublesome time with some of my
family, and spend lots of time feeling down because
of the stress. I don't pray over the situation and
leave it to God. He is saying "I am the Lord Your God
and all praise and glory is mine" "do not worry and
fret about anything else, leave it with me" Oh we
get so carried away with things and still we put God
on hold. God is not saying our children are not
important, He is saying leave go and let Me, don't
fret and worry, whilst you are fretting, you are not
thinking of Him who loves us. Our children must
learn their own lessons. We must put our Lord and
Father above everything and everybody.

Lord' Thankyou that You know all of our needs
before we even know them ourselves. Help us to
keep our minds focused on You alone, for it is
only You that can ease our fretful minds and
that can't happen until we trust You
completely.

In and for You Holy name.

Amen.

Admin Wed 15 Feb 2012, 8:46 pm

1 Corinthians 8

Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols

¹ Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. ² Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. ³ But whoever loves God is known by God.

⁴ So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” ⁵ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), ⁶ yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

⁷ But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

⁹ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹² When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

curlyboisvert Gems Red_heart

Meat Offered to Idols.

Christians in Corinth were concerned about eating
food that had been offered to some idol in a temple.
Paul however, advised them not to worry about
things they could not know for sure. We can spend
so much time trying to avoid things we disagree with
that we end up wasting our time and energy.
Our time could be put to better use.
A lesson for us here is that we keep our eyes
on the true God, and not worry so much
about unknown dangers. When we know something
goes against God's word, then avoid it.
Let's focus on what we know is right in God's eyes.
curlyboisvert Gems 1505546

Lord' In all ways protect us from anything that
would take our eyes off You. There are so many
dangers in this world today. Help us to focus on
You always. Help us to avoid those things that
would take us up the road to destruction.
We know how much You love us with a perfect
and true love, being with us always, listening
to our requests and petitions. Yours is The
Truth and The Way and The Light.

Amen.

Admin Tue 14 Feb 2012, 10:49 pm

Song of Songs 2

She

¹ I am a rose of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.

He

² Like a lily among thorns
is my darling among the young women.

She

³ Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
⁴ Let him lead me to the banquet hall,
and let his banner over me be love.
⁵ Strengthen me with raisins,
refresh me with apples,
for I am faint with love.
⁶ His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
⁷ Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
⁸ Listen! My beloved!
Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
⁹ My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
¹⁰ My beloved spoke and said to me,
“Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.
¹¹ See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
¹² Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
¹³ The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”

He

¹⁴ My dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the hiding places on the mountainside,
show me your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
¹⁵ Catch for us the foxes,
the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,
our vineyards that are in bloom.

She

¹⁶ My beloved is mine and I am his;
he browses among the lilies.
¹⁷ Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag
on the rugged hills.

The Seasons of The Soul.

Each season has its benefits. We might not immediately
not recognise the advanteges of winter because it seems
so dreary. But underneath winter's White blanket seeds are
being incubated, desease is being frozen out,and weeds
are being destroyed. In one sense winter wipes the slate
clean so that Spring may regenerate the land.
In the same way the desolate times of suffering
cleanse us from our reliance on ourselves instead of
God. It causes us to turn to Him for our sustenance.
We are turned back to God so we can enjoy the fruits
of His love and enjoy the experience of knowing
His Glory.

Lord' How often we moan about the weather and
not think about what is happening in nature.
Father help us to find joy in all Your gifts to us.
How wonderful is the Rainbow after a shower.
Thank You for the new growth every year of our
seeds. Thank You for the birds that sing cheerfully
no matter what the weather is doing.
Thank You for all our blessings,
Lord' Thank You.

Amen.

Admin Mon 13 Feb 2012, 9:04 pm

LOVE
John 13

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

¹ It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

¹⁸ “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned^[a] against me.’^[b]

¹⁹ “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. ²⁰ Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

²¹ After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

²² His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. ²³ One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. ²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

²⁵ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” ²⁸ But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹ Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him,^[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

³³ “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

³⁶ Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

³⁷ Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

³⁸ Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

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Jesus Gives a New Command.

The idea of the "new command" is not that it was
brand newand had never been heard before. The
idea is more of a "renewed command" the old
command is given again in a fresh way.
Since old testament times, God has told us we
should love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
Jesus went further ---we should love others as
Jesus loves us. He had laid down His life for us,
Our lives also belong to each other. People
know we are christians by the kind of love
we have for others.

Lord' we worship You and thank You that even
before the creation of the world You chose us to be
holy and blameless in Your sight. Thank You that because
of Your great love, You predestined us to be adopted
as Your children through Jesus in accordance
with Your will. Thank You Jesus, that because of
You we have been redeemed through the
shedding of Your blood. Lord' we know that we have sinned
and fall far short of Your glory.
Thank You for forgiving us. Thank You that even though we were
dead in sin, You have made us alive in Christ.
Thank You for the richness of Your mercy
and grace which You have lavished on us.

Amen

Admin Sun 12 Feb 2012, 6:56 pm

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Psalm 49

King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 49

¹Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

²Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

³My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

⁴I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

⁵Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

⁶They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

⁷None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

⁸(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

⁹That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

¹⁰For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

¹²Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

¹⁴Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

¹⁶Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

¹⁷For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

¹⁹He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

²⁰Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

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The Meaning of Success.

After the funeral of an extremely man, one friend turned to
another and asked," How much money did the old man leave
behind?. After a moment, the other gentleman wisely replied,
" All of it. "
The world has convinced many of us that the pursuit of wealth
and fame is one of the highest goals we could achieve.
But this is in complete opposition to the wisdom of the psalmist(v 17),
for our geatest success can only be acomplished by having
a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The apostle said it best
in Philippians 3-8:
" Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
I have given everything else and count it all garbage.
All I want is Christ.
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Lord' It say's in Your word, riches won't help on the
day of judgment, but right living can save our lives.
Sometimes Father it is very hard not to follow
the world. We get caught up in the flow and go
and follow blindly. Lord take the blinkers off our
eyes, that we see only You and be obedient even
if others won't. Let us walk the straight and narrow
way, and be sure one day we will be with You
in Heaven.
In Your Holy Name We ask It.

Amen.

Admin Fri 10 Feb 2012, 10:26 pm

1 Timothy 3
New International Version (NIV)
1 Timothy 3
Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons
¹ Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. ² Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full^[a] respect. ⁵ (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷ He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
⁸ In the same way, deacons^[b] are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁹ They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰ They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
¹¹ In the same way, the women^[c] are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
¹² A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. ¹³ Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Reasons for Paul’s Instructions
<((((><
¹⁴ Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, ¹⁵ if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,^[d]
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.

Leaders Must be Examples.

People can't see God in a pysical sense, but they can see
their pastors and other church leaders. These officers of the
church must live in way that helps people understand what
God Himself is like. Paul warns church leaders to be certain
they live respectably.
If leaders aren't examples of how a christian lives, who is?
pastors, teachers, and other leaders must practice what they
preach so they can set an example for other believers.
Being a christian isn't just a matter of believing certain things.;
it is also living in a way that reflect what we believe.
All believers are to strive to live a life that honours God.
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Lord'
Help us to be perfect examples that honour You and
set examples that nonbelievers can see us shine out
Your Glory.
In Jesus name Amen.

Admin Thu 09 Feb 2012, 11:46 am

Ecclesiastes 9

New International Version (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 9

A Common Destiny for All

¹ So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. ² All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,^[a] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
As it is with the good,
so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
so with those who are afraid to take them.

³ This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. ⁴ Anyone who is among the living has hope^[b]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

⁵ For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
and even their name is forgotten.
⁶ Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.

⁷ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. ⁸ Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. ⁹ Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

¹¹ I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

¹² Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them.

Wisdom Better Than Folly

¹³ I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: ¹⁴ There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. ¹⁵ Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
¹⁷ The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.

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The Unexpected.

The strongest and the fastest in our society don't
aways win the prize. At some point, what once seemed
to be unbeatable and unstopable will be defeated.
In the spiritual life, we must remember that God
has chosen the weak things of the world to put the
powerful to shame.
We need to avoid all pride and stay watchful,
humble, and dependent on God. We may think
that we don't have a chance in our battle with the
world, but unexpected things do happen with God.
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O Lord,enable us and our friends and family to
"be kindly and affectionate to one another
and to help each other be strong and not
proud, or vain. Love in honour, giving preference
to one another, fervent in spirit, serving The Lord;
rejoicing in our tribulations, continuing steadfastly
in prayer" Teach us to love one another as You
love us.

In Your Holy Name we ask it Amen

Admin Tue 07 Feb 2012, 11:42 pm

Ecclesiastes 3

New International Version (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

¹⁵ Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.^[b]

¹⁶ And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

¹⁷ I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”

¹⁸ I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. ¹⁹ Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath^[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰ All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. ²¹ Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

²² So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

God's Timetable.

Ecclesiastes records the writer's search for wisdom.
He tells us more about his troubled search than
about the lessons he learned. He has learned that
God has a "right time for everything" It's more than a
good idea to be ready for God's timing. To be caught
off guard by events can cause great sorrow. Find your
peace knowing your life is in God's hands and that
His timing will be perfect for you.
curlyboisvert Gems Ids_emoticon_star

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace
Lord' That lesson is beautiful, let our times
be the right lessons for us. Your ways
are ways of love, and we will follow them.
In the harder times give our faith a boost
and keep us strong to face what is coming.
We ask these things in and for Jesus name.

Amen.

Admin Mon 06 Feb 2012, 11:02 pm

Ecclesiastes 1

Everything Is Meaningless

¹ The words of the Teacher,^[a] son of David, king in Jerusalem:
² “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
³ What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
⁴ Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
⁵ The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
⁶ The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
⁷ All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.
⁸ All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
⁹ What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
¹¹ No one remembers the former generations,
and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow them.
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Wisdom Is Meaningless

¹² I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! ¹⁴ I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

¹⁸ For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.
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The Lessons of Life.

This verdict is not the hasty expression of a depressed man.
It is the deliberate conclusion of a man (a teacher) who is
disappointed with his life. And life cannot be satisfied if
it is lived apart from God.
What do we have to show for all our hard work? The answer is -
-nothing. Is this all nonsense? It is if we have only lived for ourselves.
God has given us hope, though, because of the blood
that Jesus shed on the cross. Jesus paid the price for our sins,
and has cleansed our souls from the stains of sin and disappointment.

Lord' We know that obedience in Your ways is something
of people who have Your light in them.Help us to turn away
from any selfish claims to our own life in order to heed
Your direction. Take away any rebellion in us and expose
it with Your truth. " search us O God, and know our anxieties;
and lead us in the way You planned for us. It is in obedience
we will find joy, satisfaction,and all things You have
promised us for our lives.
In and for The Holy name of Jesus.

Amen.

Admin Sat 04 Feb 2012, 10:49 pm

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1 Corinthians 12

New International Version (NIV)

1 Corinthians 12

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

¹ Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^[b] ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Love Is Indispensable.

God gives us Gifts For Service.

God gives gifts to His believers. These gifts, or special
abilities are given to us so we can help each other
serve Christ.
These giifts are not given for us to" show them off."
At the church in Corinth some of the church members
were jealously competing for the importance of their
gifts above others. Thats why Paul had to address this issue.
Each of us has a special gift. Its important that we do not
sit back and watch what others do with their gifts.
We do need to discover our special abilities and use
them to serve God.
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Lord' we know Your call upon our lives include
being a servant, obeying Your commandments,
and sharing the gifts You have given us with
others. Help us to do these things according
to Your will.

In and for the name of Jesus

Amen.

Admin Fri 03 Feb 2012, 7:07 pm

2 Corinthians 12

New International Version (NIV)

2 Corinthians 12

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

¹ I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. ³ And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. ⁶ Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

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Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹ I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^[a] even though I am nothing. ¹² I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. ¹³ How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵ So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. ²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

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God's Kindness is Enough.

Paul had seen many wonderful things, but the
best of all was God's kindness to him. Paul
experienced great physical pain that made
it difficult for him to serve Christ. Three times
he asked God to remove it, but God told
him it was better for Paul that this
suffering continued.
Think about a time when you were in great
pain, physically or emotionally. where did
you turn for comfort.? Do you feel that God goofed
in the way He made you? Do you wish
you could change certain things about your
body or personality? Let's learn to ask God to make
these "weaknesses" into our greatest strengths.
When we are weak, God makes us strong.
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O God, forgive the poverty and pettiness of
our prayers. Listen not to our words, but
to the yearning of our hearts. Hear beneath
our petitions the crying of our need.
In Your kindness, hear our prayer.

Amen.

Admin Thu 02 Feb 2012, 6:58 pm

2 Thessalonians 1

¹ Paul, Silas^[a] and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

² Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer

³ We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,^[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. ⁴ Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

⁵ All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁶ God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you ⁷ and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might ¹⁰ on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

¹¹ With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. ¹² We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.^[

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Faith and Love Grow

Anything That lives grows. We are dying if we are

not growing, whether growth is physical or spiritual.

That's true about faith and love, too.

Our muscles are strenthened by exercise. Our faith

grows by being tested, and our love grows with

practice. As we grow in our faith, we come to

understand God better; we show others the goodness

of living a life that honours God.

Lord, We revere You and we look to You for everything

in our life. Thank You that You will give us the counsel

we need for the decisions we must make. Where we have

to seek the counsel of others, lead us to Godly people

for help.

We love You and Your law and Your word. Help us in

our faith and and love. Help us to be wise and move

in accordance with Your ways.

In Jesus Name.

Amen

Admin Thu 26 Jan 2012, 5:45 pm

2 Corinthians 6

New International Version (NIV)

2 Corinthians 6

¹ As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”^[a]
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

³ We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶ in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷ in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; ⁹ known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
¹¹ We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. ¹² We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³ As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

Warning Against Idolatry

¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belial^[b]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”^[c]
¹⁷ Therefore,
“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”^[d]
¹⁸ And,
“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.

Good and Evil don't mix

We don't have to look far to find evidence of evil in
this world. There are people we deal with regularly
who do not believe in Jesus Christ or who care
little for God. In this passage Paul tells the Corinthian
to stay away from all evil things. Does that mean
stay away from people who are not christian ?.
No. God expects us to befriend nonbelievers and
share Christ with them. We should be good examples ,
showing them God's goodness. But when we spend
too much time around sinful behaviour, we tend to
see such actions as being acceptable. Thats why
we need to remember to spend time with other
believers, strengthening our faith and
celebrating God's goodness.
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Lord' help us to witness for You each and every
day. For You and only You can tell us what we
need to do.
In and for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Admin Wed 25 Jan 2012, 5:51 pm

John 1

The Word Became Flesh

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders^[c] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^[d]

²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ “I baptize with^[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John Testifies About Jesus

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

³² Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³ And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”^[f]
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter^[g]).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “You believe^[h] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” ⁵¹ He then added, “Very truly I tell you,^[i] you^[j] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’^[k] the Son of Man.”
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Jesus is God.

The first three gospels cover mostly the same
eventsin the same order, providing three views
of the same events of Jesus,'life'
John looks at different events, focusing on
some great pictures of what Jesus' work means.
John, often writes in a more poetic style than
Matthew, Mark, and Luke did.
The first fourteen verses of John may be a bit
confusing to read, but it helps when we read
them out loud
feeling the rhythm of the phrases.
Jesus is "The Very Word" of God. Think about
this: God became man, but still He remained
God. The first thing John says is "In The beginning."
These are also the first words in Genesis, the first book of the Bible
John wants us to know that this is God,
a living being. And when God speaks-
when we hear His Word-He reveals Himself to us.

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Lord' Thankyou that You created us all
and gave us life. You formed our inward
parts; You covered us in our mothers womb.
We praise You for we are fearfully and
wonderfully made, Marvelous are Your
works, and our souls know very well. We
praise You that You created us for good
things. Help us to be renewed in the
image of You, our creator. You made us
to be so much more now and that You
will help us to become all You created
us to be.
Thankyou, Jesus, that You are the image
of the invisible God, The firstborn
over all creation.

Amen.

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Admin Tue 24 Jan 2012, 4:30 pm

Isaiah 9

New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah 9

¹ ^[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

² The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
³ You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

The LORD’s Anger Against Israel

⁸ The Lord has sent a message against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
⁹ All the people will know it—
Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—
who say with pride
and arrogance of heart,
¹⁰ “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;
the fig trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.”
¹¹ But the LORD has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
¹² Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west
have devoured Israel with open mouth.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
¹³ But the people have not returned to him who struck them,
nor have they sought the LORD Almighty.
¹⁴ So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed in a single day;
¹⁵ the elders and dignitaries are the head,
the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
¹⁶ Those who guide this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray.
¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,
nor will he pity the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly and wicked,
every mouth speaks folly.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
¹⁸ Surely wickedness burns like a fire;
it consumes briers and thorns,
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹ By the wrath of the LORD Almighty
the land will be scorched
and the people will be fuel for the fire;
they will not spare one another.
²⁰ On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry;
on the left they will eat,
but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring^[b]:
²¹ Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;
together they will turn against Judah.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.

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A Gift of Promise

Our society often resembles the blind followers
of King Ahaz who were wandering around a
desolate land, searching without hope. Into
this wilderness comes a divine promise. A
promise of peace. A ruler like none has ever
seen. A leader full of wisdom, power, endurance
and hope.
Ther is a link between the child mentioned
here in verse 6. and the prophesy in Isaiah 7.14.
The ultimate fulfillment of this prophesy is
found in Jesus Christ, The Messiah.
The Orince of Peace, Mighty God, and
Wonderful Advisor.
He is still the divine promise of our world today.

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Lord' Thank You for the wonderful promise.
Thank You that we can always come to You, and
You are always there for us. Help us to be as
You want us to be and fill us full of Your
Holy Spirit each day. Guard our tongues,
mouths, and minds from all manner of things
that come from eathly troubles and
tempatations which come like a thief in
the night to try and tempt us.
Lord we ask in Jesus Holy name.

Amen.

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