New York Members

Comment

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 22, 2008 at 3:31am

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”

September 22

Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior.
Psalm 25:5 (NCV)

It's not fair," we say. It's not fair that I was born in poverty or that I
sing so poorly or that I run so slowly.

But the scales of life were forever tipped on the side of fairness when God
planted a tree in the Garden of Eden.

All complaints were silenced when Adam and his descendants were given free
will, the freedom to make whatever eternal choice we desire.

Any injustice in this life is offset by the honor of choosing our destiny in
the next.


From: Everyday Blessings
Copyright (J. Countryman, 2004)
Max Lucado





Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 21, 2008 at 8:16am

Longing

My heart cries out to You, my God.
My soul yearns for You.
The mind cannot comprehend
What my spirit and soul seeks.

There is a longing, deep inside of me,
That cries out for more of You.
I need You near me
Because I am lost without You.

My spirit seeks You, in my dreams.
I hunger, daily, for more of You.
There is such a longing
That, from morning to night,
I think only of You.

I want the intimacy that can
Only come from knowing You more
As I read my Bible and pray,
And daily seek Your face.

Only You can satisfy
This longing in my soul.
Copyright by Myra Wood

Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 20, 2008 at 2:08am

VERSE:
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to
everyone, to win as many as possible.

-- 1 Corinthians 9:19
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Corinthians+9:19

THOUGHT:
Grace frees us from the law of sin and death. But, our freedom
is not to be used for rebellion or for self-gratification. Instead,
we are to use our freedom redemptively, just as Jesus did (cf.
Philippians 2:5-11). We can voluntarily limit that freedom to help
others still caught in bondage to sin and false ideas about God. We
can use the freedom of the Spirit to be transformed to be like
Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Let’s use our freedom to rejoice
and to bless.

PRAYER:
Thank you, great and mighty LORD, for setting me free by your
grace. I know, dear Father, that this gift was given to me at great
cost -- the humiliating torture, death, and burial of your Son,
Jesus Christ. So use me, dear Father, to bless others who have not
yet found their deliverance and freedom in Jesus.
I pray this in the name of my Savior, Jesus.
Amen.




Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 19, 2008 at 7:51am

September 19
Nothing to Offer

LORD, I call to you….Listen to me when I call to you.
Psalm 141:1 (NCV)

Nicodemus came to Jesus in the middle of the night. The centurion came in
the middle of the day. The leper and the sinful woman appeared in the
middle of crowds. Zacchaeus appeared in the middle of a tree. Matthew had
a party for him.

The educated. The powerful. The rejected. The sick. The lonely. The
wealthy. Who would have ever assembled such a crew? All they had in common
were their empty hope chests, long left vacant by charlatans and profiteers.
Though they had nothing to offer, they asked for everything: a new birth, a
second chance, a fresh start, a clean conscience. And without exception
their requests were honored.


From: Six Hours One Friday
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2003)
Max Lucado



Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 19, 2008 at 7:12am

Overcome the Enemy
Rev. James C. Matthews
"And they overcame him (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." Revelations 12:11a
It is interesting to me, the depths the enemy will go to keep us from sharing our testimony with others. He tries to diminish the importance of our individual testimony by sending arrows of doubt as to the effectiveness of our testimony. He tries to use guilt and condemnation to keep us quiet, when the testimony of what we have been through is actually what will set others free. He tries to use fear of rejection to keep us from testifying to others because we do not believe our Christian brothers and sisters can handle the truth of our testimony.
Yet and still, Revelations 12:11a states "And they overcame him (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." God has given us authority " over all the power of the enemy" Luke 10:19b. The means by which we exercise this authority is by speaking. There is power in your testimony. We must share our testimony with others and continue to overcome the enemy.



Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 18, 2008 at 8:41am

Who Can Fathom Eternity?

God has planted eternity in the hearts of men.
Ecclesiastes 3:10 (TLB)

It doesn't take a wise person to know that people long for more than earth.
When we see pain, we yearn. When we see hunger, we question why. Senseless
deaths. Endless tears, needless loss. . . .


We have our moments. The newborn on our breast, the bride on our arm, the
sunshine on our back. But even those moments are simply slivers of light
breaking through heaven's window. God flirts with us. He tantalizes us. He
romances us. Those moments are appetizers for the dish that is to come.
"No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for
those who love
him" (1 Cor. 2:9).


What a breathtaking verse! Do you see what it says? Heaven is beyond our
imagination.... At our most creative moment, at our deepest thought, at our
highest level, we still cannot fathom eternity.


From: When God Whispers Your Name
Copyright (Word Publishing, 1994)
Max Lucado



Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 17, 2008 at 9:12am

The Courtroom of the World

You will be my witnesses--in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in
every part of the world.
Acts 1:8 (NCV)

We are witnesses. And like witnesses in a court, we are called to testify,
to tell what we have seen and heard. And we are to speak truthfully. Our
task is not to whitewash nor bloat the truth. Our task is to tell the truth.
Period.


There is, however, one difference between the witness in court and the
witness for Christ. The witness in court eventually steps down from the
witness chair, but the witness for Christ never does. Since the claims of
Christ are always on trial, court is perpetually in session, and we remain
under oath.


From: Just Like Jesus
Copyright (Word Publishing, 1998)
Max Lucado



Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 17, 2008 at 8:42am

Psalms 117
1
O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2
For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.



Psalms 118
1
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
2
Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
3
Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
4
Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
5
I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.
6
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
7
The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
8
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
9
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10
All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
11
They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12
They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
13
Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.
14
The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
15
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
16
The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
17
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
18
The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.
19
Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:
20
This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
21
I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
22
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23
This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
24
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25
Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26
Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
27
God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
28
Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
29
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 17, 2008 at 7:10am

A Great Testimony
Dr. Jack Graham
Half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. (Nehemiah 4:16)
As a Christian, God expects you and me to be productive.
What a great example we have of this in the fourth chapter of Nehemiah. Once the plot to stop the work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem was foiled, everybody went back to work with renewed energy.
Even those who weren't actively rebuilding the walls kept armor and weapons ready in case the enemy attacked. Nobody sat around idly!
First Corinthians 15:58 tell us to "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord...."
And what exactly does "abounding in the work of the Lord" mean? For one, it means we're actively looking for ways to serve God and serve others. It means we're so busy thinking about what we can do next for the Kingdom that we have little time to think about ourselves, worry, and become discouraged!
Today I want to challenge you to go out of your way to serve someone. And don't just do it to do it. Let that person know you're helping them out because your service pleases the Lord you love! It will be a great testimony of a life that's sold out for Christ.
LOOK FOR WAYS TO SERVE AND LOVE OTHERS TODAY... AND EVERY DAY!




Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Comment by Ladyjd721 on September 16, 2008 at 6:00am

Your Test Leads To Your Testimony!
Bishop E. Earl Jenkins
"Every detail works to your advantage and to God's Glory." 2 Corinthians 4:15 (TM)
When you were a child, do you remember being irritated whenever your favorite television program was interrupted for 30 seconds by a test of the Emergency Broadcast System?
Those emergency system tests are a lot like the trials that come into our lives. They're unscheduled, usually unwelcome interruptions, and they always seem to come at the worst possible time. But unlike the test patterns on television, life's trials don't last for 30 seconds and then disappear. No, they can last for days, weeks, even years. And the exact reason for them may never be completely clear to us. Trials can make us feel helpless, but we do have control over one vital element of a trial - how we respond to it. Understand this: trials are indispensable to our spiritual growth. In fact, we cannot grow as we should without them, as much as we might wish we could. It's your test that leads to your testimony!
Paul writes, "Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace...more and more praise! So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace" (2Co 4:15-18 TM). And Job adds "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold" (Job 23:10 NIV). It takes a lot more heat to produce gold than it does tin. So which do you want to be?


Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 121
• 122
• 123
• 124
• 125
• Next ›
• Page