Hope and Inspiration

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Comment by Leonora 16 hours ago

Kelly,


I tell you the turth, speak out of your mouth as if it is already so! :)
Trust and see it will come to pass..

Love you!

Comment by Kelly P 1 day ago

In Touch Ministries Daily Devotional with Dr. Charles Stanley
November 21-22

Being Light in a Godless Age
2 Timothy 3:10-16

According to Scripture, our world is headed for terrible times. Politicians can't solve the problems. Neither can philosophers or philanthropists. Only God has the remedy—salvation and transformation, one life at a time.

As ungodliness increases, believers will be greatly impacted. Paul warned us to take precautions so we don't start following the dysfunctional choices of the godless. One way to do this is by being sensitive to God's work in the lives of His people. Timothy paid attention to the way Paul handled adversity and made decisions. He could see that God delivered the apostle from many tough situations, so the young man chose to emulate him. Like Timothy, we're wise to observe those who are choosing God's way.

Another precaution is to notice the spiritual foolishness of those living apart from Christ—and avoid their influence. They may be high achievers, financial successes, or generous givers, but without Jesus, they remain outside God's family. Their choices reflect man's priorities, not the Lord's.

Finally, we must be committed to the Bible as our guide for life. God's Word was written by ordinary men under His inspiration. He designed the Scriptures to be profitable for teaching, correction, and godly living.

We are commanded to be ready on all occasions to speak the name of Jesus, share what He has done for us, and relate His gospel message to others. When we do, we will be like lights reflecting the truth of our Savior to a world desperately in need of illumination.

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

Comment by Kelly P 1 day ago

Nora, this is just what you were saying a couple of days ago. Your husband tries to beat you to loving more than you can. That is wonderful and I want that for me and mine also. It must start with meeee! :-) And, I can only do that through Him.

Comment by Kelly P on November 20, 2009 at 7:46am

UpWords: The Teaching Ministry of Max Lucado

Unfailing Love
by Max Lucado

"Love," Paul says, "never fails" (1 Cor. 13:8 NIV).

The verb Paul uses for the word fail is used elsewhere to describe the demise of a flower as it falls to the ground, withers, and decays. It carries the meaning of death and abolishment. God's love, says the apostle, will never fall to the ground, wither, and decay. By its nature, it is permanent. It is never abolished.

Love "will last forever" (NLT).

It "never dies" (MSG).

It "never ends" (RSV).

Love "is eternal" (TEV).

God's love "will never come to an end" (NEB).

Love never fails.

Governments will fail, but God's love will last. Crowns are temporary, but love is eternal. Your money will run out, but his love never will.

How could God have a love like this? No one has unfailing love. No person can love with perfection. You're right. No person can. But God is not a person. Unlike our love, his never fails. His love is immensely different from ours.

Our love depends on the receiver of the love. Let a thousand people pass before us, and we will not feel the same about each. Our love will be regulated by their appearance, by their personalities. Even when we find a few people we like, our feelings will fluctuate. How they treat us will affect how we love them. The receiver regulates our love.

Not so with the love of God. We have no thermostatic impact on his love for us. The love of God is born from within him, not from what he finds in us. His love is uncaused and spontaneous.

Does he love us because of our goodness? Because of our kindness? Because of our great faith? No, he loves us because of his goodness, kindness, and great faith. John says it like this: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us" (1 John 4:10 NIV).

Doesn't this thought comfort you? God's love does not hinge on yours. The abundance of your love does not increase his. The lack of your love does not diminish his. Your goodness does not enhance his love, nor does your weakness dilute it. What Moses said to Israel is what God says to us:

The LORD did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! It was simply because the LORD loves you. (Deut. 7:7-8 NLT)

God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so.

He loves you when you don't feel lovely.

He loves you when no one else loves you. Others may abandon you, divorce you, and ignore you, but God will love you. Always. No matter what.

This is his sentiment: "I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I'll call the unloved and make them beloved" (Rom. 9:25 MSG).

This is his promise. "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself" (Jer. 31:3 NLT).


From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

Comment by Kelly P on November 20, 2009 at 7:45am

Nora,

Thank you for the incredible confirmation. I must remember this and not forget it. I am just gonna have to create a habit of laser-focusing on this until it is set again. I used to have this down well.

Thank you Jesus that "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)" (John 10:10)

Thank you Lord. I praise your name on high

Comment by Leonora on November 19, 2009 at 8:47pm

A Scripture for you all Today!

"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)" (John 10:10)

TODAY'S WORD

Too many people today have a barely-get-by mentality, "Barely able to pay my bills, got an okay job, an okay marriage." Friend, don’t settle there. Jesus came so we could live an abundant life! That means an abundance of joy, an abundance of peace, an abundance of health, an abundance in our finances.

God’s dream is that you not only be blessed, but that you are so blessed that you can be blessing everywhere you go. He wants you to live an abundant life so that it overflows on to the people around you. We should have so much peace, so much joy, so much victory that when other people get around us, they begin to feel it. It affects them.
You may not be seeing it right now, but don’t get complacent and just settle where you are. Begin to declare by faith today,

"Jesus came to give me abundant life." "My needs are supplied in abundance so that I can be a blessing to others." As you stay in faith, you’ll see your circumstances begin to turn around. You’ll see God move on your behalf, and you’ll experience the abundant life He has prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Heavenly Father, today I release all the cares and burdens that are trying to drag me down. I know that You have a good plan for my life. I will continue in the faith and ask that You breathe Your new life throughout my whole being today. In Jesus' Name. Amen"

Thank you Joel and Victoria

Nora

Comment by Leonora on November 19, 2009 at 8:43pm

"Before his conversion - said he viewed Christianity as a crutch for weak people. "Exactly," was my response. "

Whoo hooo, I have to put a praise right there!

What a wonderful and yet so true of a Word.

Again thank you Kelly!

Comment by Kelly P on November 19, 2009 at 3:09pm

Crosswalk.com The Intersection of Faith and Life - The Devotional
Members without a Club
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.
John 14:6

"I don't respect [believers] who don't proselytize. I don't respect that at all. If you believe that there's a heaven and a hell, and that people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life, or whatever, and you think, well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that? I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn't believe it, but that truck was bearing down? There's a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that."

Wow, great words. Completely sums up what's at stake with Christian evangelism, and why it's so impotant, not to mention commanded. Who said that? Famous pastor? Leading revivalist? World-traveled evangelist?

An atheist. One who later in the same speech will say, "I know there's no God," and "religion does a lot of bad stuff," but who was nonetheless touched by a genuine gesture a simple, normal, respectable gentleman made in giving the gift of a Gideon Bible.

The atheist in question is Penn Gillette, of the famous magic act Penn & Teller. You can check out his story of being offered a Bible following one of his shows on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhG-tkQ_Q2w.

I am sure Mr. Gillette and I - and you - disagree on a lot of things. But he's so right about this. Our pastor was recently addressing some of the tough questions about Christianity in a sermon series, including the one about how can Christians claim to know the true way; aren't all ways equally valid? And he settled on our verse today - John 14:6 - which is our beloved starting prooftext for how Jesus himself stated that no other way would work.

While that is blessedly true, our pastor suggested we tend to have inverted if not perverted the subtlety of the message. We've behaved like we're privileged members of an exclusive club, one that has created all sorts of rules to keep others out. One that gets to tell them how wrong they are. One that should be full of joy and open arms, but is instead full of stern sobriety and pointing fingers. One that nobody would really want to join anyway, even if it were a club, which it isn't. For one thing, we're on a journey toward perfection, and in the same chapter Jesus told his followers that the many rooms in his Father's house were being prepared. We aren't living in them yet. Our clubhouse is not our current home. We have merely started on the journey, and yet...

We forget where we come from.

Christianity is flawed in part because it is full of losers - those who humbly admitted their own shortcomings and acknowledged The Answer was outside themselves. My own father - before his conversion - said he viewed Christianity as a crutch for weak people. "Exactly," was my response. Christ did not come for the healthy, but for the sick. That was us. We have no claim to exclusivity. The message, similar to how eloquently Mr. Gillette put it, is that anyone can be INcluded, provided they believe. Our job is to tell them that truck is bearing down, politely and sincerely. To give the Bible and to have read it ourselves. To model a life not based on legalism or even moralism, but on the joy of every day's opportunity along the narrow road and the freedom we have to choose to follow it or not.

When Jesus told his followers that he was the way and the truth and the life, it was a comfort. He had just told them he would be leaving, but that if they had seen him (and they had) then they had seen the Father, and that "you know the way to the place where I am going."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Comfort others with this verse. There are a lot of hurting people in this world who point to this text as the source of their conundrum with Christianity. Remind them that we're not about keeping people out, evoking a membership privilege to remind them who and what is wrong, or even condemning them to a more dire fate. In fact, it has so little to do with do's and don'ts, and everything to do with grace, freedom, and acceptance. I was lost, and someone pointed me to this road. Many others had tried before, but their words finally took hold and my eyes were opened to see it was indeed the right road. Yours can be too. Pure blood was shed for you as it was for anyone who would accept it, repent, seek forgiveness, know joy. Here's a Bible. Won't you read it and join us on The Way?

Comment by Kelly P on November 19, 2009 at 3:02pm

Pam, thank you for jumping in here. It is soo good to hear from you and see your wonderful words. Keep coming, we love to hear and share with you!

Comment by Kelly P on November 19, 2009 at 3:00pm

Nora!!
I am so encouraged to see you find confirmation. I too find it each time I read devotionals. They always deliver confirmation whether small or large, but always, and usually more on the "large" side :-)

Take a look at this one coming up for today.

Hope and Inspiration members; It is my hope that you each are benefitting from each post here. I encourage you to come drink and eat .

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