My Weekend Journey - 4/24 & 4/25/2010

God's insight for me:

This weekend I was definitely facing some storms in my life. But as Max Lucado stated if we look back to previous storms and the messages God gave us then, we can find the stability to get us through this storm. In Sunday School it was stated God does not change. He was the same 2000 years ago than He is today. A storm is a storm. He will always be there for us, He will never leave us or forsake us. The clouds that are hiding the sun today will be gone and the sun will be in view again!

Adrian Rogers writes about the Truth of the Bible. That is God's Words of life to us. As I read one time before, B=basic, I=instructions, B=before, L=leaving, E=earth!

As I was reading Charles Stanley's weekend devotional I was reminded of a book that a friend of mine asked me to read. It was "Who I Am In Christ", by Neil T. Anderson. As I read that book it made my Christianity become more aware to me. Christ is alive and living in me, Praise God!

Allison Gillaspie's writing was right on the money for me this weekend. I was hit by the 2x4. Normally being a happy person, which is each of our choices, I found my joy being harder to come by. My peace was being tested, but as Allison wrote the one constant for us as believers is Jesus. He is for me, for sure.

Squawking or singing? Now there was an interesting title for a devotional. As I read it I did agree as Christians we can draw people to us or drive them away. My friends, people are truly watching us. God is bringing hurting, lost, confused and those that do not know Him to us so we can lead them to Him. Which of the birds do you resemble? Lord, please always let me be singing your sweet praises.

Erasing doubt I thought was a good devotional. I think what it spoke to me was about choice. We have the choice to follow God's direction or not. I can tell you for a fact, when I gave Him control back in 1997, I became a new person. His life became my life.

Max Lucado's Sunday devotional appeared to be talking about me. Introvert, very quiet and shy. So what did God do with me? Put me in front of people singing His praises and let the Holy Spirit speak to them from my heart. I can't wait to meet all of God's children as we share our uncommon but God glorifying stories.

As I read Adrian Roger's Sunday devotional it surely reminded me of many times I could not understand why I was doing something I thought was good was bringing not so good results. The problem my friends lied in the "I". Was "I" doing something "I" thought was good or waiting for God to make good from what "He" wanted me to do to bring glory to "Him"!

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott


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4/24/2010

It’s Still True By Max Lucado
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard.” Hebrews 2:1, NIV

Stability in the storm comes not from seeking a new message but from understanding an old one. The most reliable anchor points are not recent discoveries, but are time-tested truths that have held their ground against the winds of change. Truths like:

My life is not futile. My failures are not fatal. My death is not final.

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The Enduring Beauty of the Word of God by Adrian Rogers

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever." 1 Peter 1:24-25

The Bible is the incontestable, incorruptible, indestructible, and indispensable Word of God.

•No one can argue with it.
•Nothing can corrupt it.
•Nothing can destroy it.
•Nothing can replace it as the source and wellspring of life.

The late Dr. Robert G. Lee, a great preacher of the last generation, had this to say about the Bible:

All of its enemies have not torn one hole in its holy vesture, or stolen one flower from its wonderful garden, nor diluted one drop of honey from its abundant hive, nor broken one string of its thousand-stringed harp, nor drowned one sweet word in infidel ink.

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April 24-25
Special People by Charles Stanley
1 Peter 2:9-10

Whenever feelings of low self-worth threaten us with discouragement, we need to rely on the truth of God's Word rather than our emotions. Today we are going to examine four phrases that describe how the Lord sees every believer.

• A Chosen Race. God chose you and me to be part of His kingdom and family because He wanted us. No one who has been specially selected by almighty God is insignificant.

• A Royal Priesthood. As believers, we are children of God and, therefore, part of a royal family. In other words, we are "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). Just as Jesus fulfilled the roles of both king and priest, so God has also entrusted us with priestly responsibilities of worship and intercession for others.

• A Holy Nation. The church—or body of Christ—is a group of people who are holy, which means "set apart" for the purposes of God. Our lives are never meaningless, because living for the Lord is the greatest purpose one can have.

• A People for God's Own Possession. You and I are the personal possessions of God (Deut. 14:2; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). He so values each of us that He sent His Son to die in our place in order that we could be His.

Each of these descriptions shows the high value God places on you. Satan may whisper lies of condemnation and criticism, but he can't change who you really are. Begin today to demonstrate the truth of Scripture by remembering your real identity and living out your high calling from the Lord.

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A devotional by 365.org

You fail a test. You break up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Your parents tell you they are going to go through a separation. You just found out someone very close to you is very sick.

Difficult times happen every day. Sometimes you can see them coming, while other times you might feel like you have been hit over the head by a two-by-four.

Through all the ups and downs there is one constant - Jesus. More importantly, it is not just the fact that Jesus is there, it is the fact that he is leading us; he is helping us rest. He is giving us restoration. He is showing us comfort in time of sadness and fear.

There is no one or nothing that can make us crumble as long as we become like sheep and allow Jesus to be our Shepherd.

Allison Gillaspie

In times of trouble and times of joy, I want you to guide me, God. There is nothing sweeter than taking your hand and following where you want me to go through life. Amen.

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Squawking or Singing?
April 24th, 2010 By Marilyn Ehle

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth…” Ephesians 4:29

“…speaking to one another in psalms and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord…” Ephesians 5:19

To squawk: to utter a harsh cry, to complain loudly, to say something shrilly

To sing: to make continuous musical sound

As I closed the car door in the supermarket parking lot, a flock of large birds flew overhead. While my eyes did not detect their presence, their shrill squawk assaulted my ears. I was happy when they swiftly flew into the distance, their high-pitched, penetrating sound now just an echo.

In contrast, another bird sound makes me smile, quickens my step and brightens my day. This is the singing of those birds that arrive in our yard when the spring days turn warm. Seemingly bursting with the joy of new life and abundant food, they sit in the budding trees or greening bushes. They flit from one branch to another, with a song that seems to bubble without interruption. Even on those days when the temperature unexplainably drops and it looks as though winter may be returning, I have seen these birds and heard their song.

Birds are programmed to sing or squawk, but we have a choice as to whether the sounds coming from our mouths are melodic. People are either drawn to the voice of God through our words and the tone of our voices, or they want to turn away. Even without natural talent or formal musical training, we can sing joy to the world.

Lord, please remind me—and even use others to remind me—when what comes from my lips is not pleasing to you.

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Erasing Doubt
April 25th, 2010 by Vonette Bright

Stephanie’s dream was to be an author, but family obligations took priority.
When she was forty, however, the urge to write hit again.
She wondered if it was from God.

Friend, you might be wondering about your dream. Is it God’s best for your life?

Well, at first Stephanie’s prayers were filled with doubt.
Then she heard Charles Stanley speak about prayer and fasting.
So she abstained from eating while the family was away. It left her with more time for God.

As she prayed and released her dream to God, His Word spoke to her heart.
Her dream was confirmed. Writing was God’s will for her!
Jesus then took Stephanie Reed with her God-given ability to write and used her for His glory.

And, dear one, God can do the same for you. Give Him your dream today!

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4/25/2010

Uncommon Use By Max Lucado
“He gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6

Heaven may have a shrine to honor God’s uncommon use of the common.

It’s a place you won’t want to miss. Stroll through and see Rahab’s rope, Paul’s bucket, David’s sling, and Samson’s jawbone. Wrap your hand around the staff that split the sea and smote the rock. Sniff the ointment that soothed Jesus’ skin and lifted his heart . . .

I don’t know if these items will be there. But I am sure of one thing—the people who used them will.

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All Things Work Together for Good by Adrian Rogers

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

I read about a farmer who had a big brush pile of debris that he was going to burn.

He noticed that a little bird had built a nest in that brush pile, so he destroyed the nest.

When he came back days later, he found the bird rebuilding the nest. The farmer destroyed the nest again. But the bird built again, and again the farmer destroyed it.

Finally, the little bird gave up.

I can just imagine that little bird going home and saying to his family, "I just don't know why all our good plans of building a home are not working."

Well, there was an unseen hand that was doing something that the bird may have thought was bad, but was really good.

Read Romans 8:28 again. Notice that the verse doesn't say all things are good. All things are not good. There are some terrible things in this world. The point is that only God is good! He alone can work all things together for your good.

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