The CBN Asia Family of Ministries

The CBN Asia Family of Ministries

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READ: Genesis 39:1-10
The Lord was with Joseph. —Genesis 39:2At the age of 16, pianist Leon Fleisher made his formal debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic. He went on to win prestigious international competitions and played in the world’s finest concert halls. But at the age of 37, Fleisher was struck with dystonia, a neurological condition that crippled his right hand. After a period of despondency and withdrawal, he turned to teaching and conducting, because, as he said, he loved music more than he loved the piano.
When our dreams are shattered, how do we react? After Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, was sold as a slave by his brothers (Gen. 37:12-36), he could have given in to self-pity and self-indulgence. Instead, Joseph remained true to the Lord. Four times in Genesis 39, we read that “the Lord was with” Joseph (vv.2-3,21,23), and his actions revealed his own faithfulness to God. By his exemplary life, those he served in Egypt recognized God’s presence with him.

Do we love God more than our own dreams? Although Joseph must have grieved the loss of his past and what his life could have been, the Lord led him to a calling he had never imagined. Today, the Lord longs to lead us. Are we willing to be redirected by Him? — David C. McCasland



My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away;
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead,
For He doth know the way. —Overton



A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. —Proverbs 16:9

IMPOSSIBLE?

READ;Matthew 5:38-42
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You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth." But I tell you not to resist an evil person. -Matthew 5:38-39
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    When Nobel Chairman Gunnar John delivered his presentation speech for Martin Luther King's 1964 Peace Prize, he quoted Jesus: "who soever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:39). As mr. John noted: "It was not because he led a racial minority in their struggle for equality that Martin Luther King achieved fame...[His] name will endure for the way in which he was waged his struggle."
   In 1955, King had led a year-long, peaceful boycott to protest segregation on buses. he paid a high price. His home has bombed, and he was assaulted and arrested. He never retaliated. Eventually he was murdered.
   How contrary dr. King's  peaceful example stands to my fleshly nature! I want justice now. I want retribution. I want others to pay their wrongdoings, specially when it's directed at me. What I do not want is to turn the other cheek and invite them to take another swing.
   Haddon Robinson comments on the lofty standards Jesus set forth in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), calling them "goals...not impossible ideals. [Jesus] wants His diciples to strive towards these goals to master a new kind of life."
        Amid the injustices of life,  may we have the courage,  faith,  and  strenght  to  turn  the other cheek.-Tim Gustafson

So send I you to hearts made hard by  hatred,

To eyes made blind because they wil not see,

To spend-though it be blood-to spend and spare not-

So send I you to taste of Calvary. -Clarkson

  

WONDERFULLY MADE

READ; Psalm 139:7-16
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I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. -Psalm 139:14
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   A quote in George Mac Donald's book David Elginbrod speaks to those who wonder, at times, why God has made them the way they are-and who wish they were someone else.
   Lady Wmily muses: "I wish I were you, Margaret."
   Margaret answers: "If I were you, my lady, I would rather be what God chosen to make me than the most glorious creature that i could  think of. For to have been thought about-born in God's thought-and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, most precious thing in all thinking."
    MacDonald may have had Psalm 139:17 in mind: "How precious...are Your thoughts to me, O God!" In this psalm, David is thinking about his conception, and vividly describes God's thoughts as He wove Him together in his mother's womb, creating a unique and special individual to be the object of His love.
   It's a comforting thought to know what we're not a terrible mistake, but a very special creation, "born in God's thoughts." David could stand before a mirror and say in all honestly and humility: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works" (v.14).
    You are a designer original! As such, you are dear, grand and precious to God. -David Roper

Of all creation's treasures rare,

Not one compares in worth with man;

In God's own image he was made

To fill a place in His great plan. -D. De Haan 

BROTHERHOOD OF THE SEA

READ; Ephisians 2:14-22
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Now, therefore, you are...fellow citizens with the saints. - Ephisians 2:19
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    On August 8, 2005, the world learned of the dramatic rescue of seven Russian sailors trapped in a small sub entangled in a fishing net. The men had survived 3 cold, dark days on the bottom of the ocean and had lessthan 6hours of oxygen left. Meanwhile, up above, a frantic, unified rescue effort by Russian, Japanese, British and American personnel was underway. finally, the sub was freed. The Russian Defense Minister praise the operation, saying, "We have seen in deeds, not in words, what the brotherhood of the sea means."
    The book of Ephisians talk about the unity of believers in Jesus by referring to the oneness of "the house hold of God"(2:19). The Gentiles, who were once "aliens" and "strangers" (v.12), had now been "brought near by the blood of Christ"(v.13), uniting them with their Jewish brothers & sisters. This unity is to permeate the efforts of the Christian community today.
   Believers in Jesus are commissioned to undertake the most important rescue effort. People are dying without Christ. Praise God that United Mission effortd are bringing hope, salvation, education, and relief to desperate people around the world. That's what the brotherhood of Christ is all about. -Dave Egner

In Christ there is no East or West

In Him no Sourth or North,

But one great fellowship of Love

Throughout the whole wide earth. -Oxenham

A SIN BY ANY OTHER NAME

READ; Genesis 39:1-9
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How then can i do this great wickedness, and sin against God? -Genesis 39:9
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    Joseph found himself in a difficult position one day when  his master's wife attempted to seduce him. How tantalizing this woman must have been to a healthy young man! And it must have accured to joseph how fearsome her wrath  would be when he spurned her advances.
   Yet joseph flatly resisted her. His moral convictions stemmed from his clear view of sin and his reverence for God. He said to her, "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.?" (Gen. 39:9)
   Today, it is popular to call sinby more acceptable names. But using euphemisms for offenses against God wil only weaken our resistance and trivialize sin's harmfulness to us.
   To Joseph, sin was not just "an error of judgement." Nor was it mere "slip of the tongue" or an "indiscretion" in a "moment of weakness." Joseph saw sin for what it was - a serious offense against the Lord and He did not play down the gravity of the offense.
   God's moral standards are absolute. It is only when we see sin as something abhorrent to the Lord that we will be motivated to make right moral judgement.
   Calling sin by a softer name will change neither its offensiveness to God nor its cost to us. -C.P. Hia

  Was it for crimes that I have done

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown!

and love beyond degree! - Watts

ON THE WINGS

READ; Matthew 10:27-31
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Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. -Matthew 10:31
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   In his book On the Wings, Alan Tennant chronicles his efforts to track the migration of the peregine falcon. Valued for their beauty, swiftness, and power, these amazing birds of prey were favorite hunting companions of emperors and nobility. Sadly, the wide use of the pesticide DDT in the 1950's interfered with their reproductive cycle and placed them on the endangered species list.
   Interested in the recovery of this species, Tennant attached transmitters to a select number of falcon to track their migration patterns. But when he and his pilot flew their Cessna behind the birds, they repeatedly lost signal from the transmitters. Despite their advanced technology, they were not always able to track the birds they wanted to help.
   It's good to know that the God who cares for us never loses track for us. In fact, Jesus said that not even one sparrow "falls to the ground apart from (God's) will....Do not fear therefore; you are more value than many sparrows"(Matt. 10:29-31).
   When we face difficult circumstances, fear may cause us to wonder if God is aware of our situation. Jesus' teaching ussures us that God cares deeply and is in control. His tracking of our lives will never fail. -Dennis Fisher

I would tell the Lord my longings,

Roll on Him my every care;

Cast upon Him all my burdens,

Burdens that I cannot bear. -Weigle

THE BIBLE'S SCHOOL OF PRAYER

READ; Habakkuk 1:1-4
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I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. -Job 7:11
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   To call God and us unequal partners is a laughable understatement. And yet by inviting us to do kingdom work on earth, God has indeed set up a kind  of odd-couple alliance. God delegates work to human beings so that we do history together, so to speak. Clearly, the partnership has one dominant partner-something like an alliance between Microsoft and high school progarmmer.
   We know well what happens when human beings form unequal alliances: the dominant partner tends to throw his weight around the subordinate mostly keeps quiet. But God, who has no reason to be threatened by us, invites a steady and honest flow of communication.
   I sometimes wonder why God places such a high value on honestly in our prayers, even to the extent of enduring unjust outbursts. I am startled to see how many biblical prayers seem ill-tempered. Jeremiah griped about unfairness (20:7-10); Habakkuk accused God of deafness (1:2); Job conceded, "What profit do we have if we pray to Him?" (21:15). The bible teaches us to pray with blistering honesty.
   God want's us to come to Him with our complaints. If we march through life pretending to smile while inside we bleed, we dishonor the relationship. -Philip Yancey

Give Him each perplexing problem,

All your needs to Him make known;

Bring to Him your daily burdens

Never carry them alone! -Adams

BEYOND HELP?

READ; Luke 23:33-43
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Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." -Luke 23:43
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    A 110 year-old Israeli Bendouin shepherd was admitted to a Beersheba hospital while experiencing a heart attack. In spite of his age, doctors worked hard to save him. The man wa thought to be the oldest heart patient ever to be treated successfully with anticlotting drugs. A hospital spokeperson reported that the Bendouin returned to his tent in the Negev Desert to tend his goats.
    The care given to this 110-year-old man faintly echoes the way Jesus responded to those people we consider beyond help. His ability and willingness to go beyong social barriers to help lepers and social outcasts went far beyond the normal expectations of what a good person would do.
   Even in the agony of His own suffering, Jesus reached out to a dying man everyone else regarded as beyond help. The man was a criminal, condemned to die, and only hours from entering a lost eternity. In the moment, Jesus responded to the man's cry for help and said, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43)
   Do you know someone who seems beyond help today? Perhaps you think you are without hope. The God of the bible specializes in giving help to those regarded as so old, so guilty, or so weak as to be beyond help. -Mart De Haan

Jesus seeks the lowly ones

When other do not care;

His lovingkindness and His help

He longs with them to share. - D. De Haan

THAT'S AWESOME!

READ; Psalm 66
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Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. -Psalm 55:5
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   The word awesome is tossed around a lot these days. Talk about cars, movies, songs, or food-and somebody will say. "That's awesome!"
   But if we call earth-side stuff awesome and then call God awesome, we deminish how truly awesome He is. A friend of mine has a rule in her house-the word awesome is reserved only for God.
   Trivializing God is no trivial matter. He is far more than a companion who will fit into our "buddy system" or a divine ATM responding to our impulses. Until we are stunned by the awesomeness of God, we will be way to impressed with ourselves and lose the joy of the privilege of belonging to an awesome God.
   A look athe Psalms puts it all in perspective. One psalmist declares, "For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a Great King over all the earth" (Ps. 47:2). And another psalms commands: "Say to God, 'How awesome are Your works!' ...Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in his doing towards the sons of men" (Ps. 66:3,5).
   What could be more awesome than the love that compelled Jesus  to go to the cross for us? Put Him in His proper place as the only One who is truly awesome, and praise God for His awesome work in your life! - Joe stowell

Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,

Which wert and art and evermore shalt be. - Heber

THE OLD AND THE NEW

READ; Galatians 5:16-23
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If anyone is in christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become a new. -2 Corinthians 5:17
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   Typical resolutions in January are to lose weight, excercise more, spend less time at work and more time with family - maybe stop chatting on the cell phone while driving.
   It's not surprising that we want to change the things in our lives that we're unhappy about-even though most New Year's resolutions are kept for no more than 3 weeks.
   Whant if wre ask to God what He wants you to change, improve, or begin this year? He might tell you to:

• Demonstrate more of the fruit of the Spirit in your life, which is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23)
• "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate, and pray for those who...presecute you" (Matt. 5:44)
• "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)
• "Be content with such things as you have" (Heb. 13:5)
• "Walk according to His commandments" (2 John 1:6)

   As believers and new creation, we can be free from old patterns and failures. We musk ask God to help us live each day in the power of the Holy Spirit. Then we can shed the old and embrace the new (2 Cor. 5:17). -Cindy Hess Kasper

How can we live to please the Lord?

By knowing what He says to do

And trusting in the Spirit's strength

To make us into someone new. - Sper

THE OLD AND THE NEW

READ; Galatians 5:16-23
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If anyone is in christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become a new. -2 Corinthians 5:17
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Typical resolutions in January are to lose weight, excercise more, spend less time at work and more time with family - maybe stop chatting on the cell phone while driving.
It's not surprising that we want to change the things in our lives that we're unhappy about-even though most New Year's resolutions are kept for no more than 3 weeks.
Whant if wre ask to God what He wants you to change, improve, or begin this year? He might tell you to:

• Demonstrate more of the fruit of the Spirit in your life, which is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23)
• "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate, and pray for those who...presecute you" (Matt. 5:44)
• "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)
• "Be content with such things as you have" (Heb. 13:5)
• "Walk according to His commandments" (2 John 1:6)

As believers and new creation, we can be free from old patterns and failures. We musk ask God to help us live each day in the power of the Holy Spirit. Then we can shed the old and embrace the new (2 Cor. 5:17). -Cindy Hess Kasper

How can we live to please the Lord?

By knowing what He says to do

And trusting in the Spirit's strength

To make us into someone new. - Sper

TO JUDGE OR NOT TO JUDGE

READ; Matthew 7:1-21
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Judge not, that you be not judged. -Matthew 7:1
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   What better way to tell people to mind their own business than to quote Jesus? People who seldom read the Bible are quick to quote matthew 7:1 when they want to silence someone whose opinion they don't like. "Judge not, that you be not judged" seems like the perfect response.
   In context, however, the passage indicates that we are indeed to judge; we're just supposed to avoid faulty judgements. Furthermore, our judgement are to begin with self: "First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye," Jesus said (v.5). He then said, "Beware of false prophets" (v.15). This too requires judging-we need to be able to discern truth from falsehood.
   Jesus used the metaphor of fruit to give us the proper criteria for judging. "By their fruits you will know them" (v.20). We are to judge people (including ourselves) by the quality of the fruit they produce. This fruit cannot be judged by earthly values such as how good we look (v.15). It must be judged by heavenly values-the fruit of the Spirit produced within us-Love, Joy, Peace (Gal. 5:22).
   Our tendency is to judge by appearance. But God judges by what we produce, and so should we. -Julie Ackerman Link

They truly lead who lead by love

And humble serve the Lord;

Their lives will bear the Spirit's fruit

And magnify His word. -D. De Haan 

THE KING

READ; Revelation 17:9-14
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These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. - Revelation 17:14
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   It might be surprising how many people around the world know that today is Elvis Presley's birthday. The enduring popularity of the singer from Mississippi spans generations and cultures. More than 30 years after his death, sales of Presley's music, memorabilia, and licensing agreements generate millions of dollars in annual income. Once dubbed "The King of Rock & Roll," Elvis is often called, "The King."
   Whether the "kings" of this world are celebrirties, athletes, crowned heads, or tycoons, they come and go. Their influence maybe immense and their followers fanatically loyal, but it doesn't last forever.
   The Bible, however, refers to Jesus Christ as the eternal King. Revelation 17 speaks prophetically of earthly kings who will fight to establish their authority at the end of the ages. Biblical scholars have debated the identities of these kings, but there is no mistake about the One they cannot overpower: "these will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful" (Rev. 17:14).
   Jesus Christ the Lord is King, and He will reign forever. -David McCasland 

The King of kings and Lord of lords

Who reigns today within our heart,

Will one day bring His peace on earth

A kingdom that will not depart. -Sper

THE INNOCENT MAN...

READ; Genesis 18:22-33
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Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? -Genesis 18:25
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   John Grisham is well known for his courtroom novels - fast-paced tales of lawyers & victims, authorities and wrongdoers. However, his book The Innocent Man is not fiction. It is a real life story of injustice. It tells of the brutal murder of a young woman & the two men who, though innocent, were convicted and sentenced to death for the crime. Only with the advent of DNA testing were they proven innocent and spared from execution after 17 years of suffering wrongly. At long last, justice prevailed.
   Everyone desires justice. But we must recognize that our human frailty makes it challenging to mete out true justice. And we can be bent toward revenge, making a casualty out of the pursuit of it.
   It's helpful to remember that perfect justice can be found only in  God. Abrahan described Him with the rhetorical question, "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?"(Gen. 18:25). The necessary answer is yes. But even more, His courtroom is the one and only place where we can be certain that justice will prevail.
   In a world filled with justice, we can take the wrongs done to us, submit them to the judge of all the earth, and trust Him for ultimate justice. -Bill Crowder

The best of  judges on this earth

Aren't always right or fair;

But God, the Righteous Judge of all,

Wrongs no one in His care.  -Egner 

FAITH OF A CHILD

READ; Matthew 18:1-5
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Unless you are converted the become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven
-Matthew 18:3
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   One sunday I heard Mike talk about his relationship with his two fathers- the one who raised him as a child, and his Father in heaven.
   First he described his childhood trust toward his earthly father as "simple & uncomplicated." He expected his dad to fix broken things and to give advice. He dreaded displeasing him, however, because he often forgot that his father's love ang forgiveness always followed.
   Mike continued, "Some years ago I made a mess of things and hurt a lot of people. Because of my guilt. I ended a happy, simple relationship with my heavenly Father. I forgot that I could as Him to fix what I had broken and seek His advice."
   Years passed. Eventually Mike became desperate for God, yet he wondered what todo. His pastor said simply, "Say you're sorry to God, and mean it!
   Instead, Mike asked complicated question, like; "How does this work?" and "What if...?"
   Finally his pastor prayed, "Please, God, give Mike the faith of a child!" Mike later testified joyfully, "The Lord did!"
   Mike found closeness with his heavenly Father. The key for him and for us is to practice the simple and uncomplicated faith of a child.  -Joanie Yoder

Have you noticed that the childlike faith

Of a little boy or girl

Has so often shown to older folks

How to know salvation's joy?  - Branon

  

A LOT TO REMEMBER..

READ; Proverbs 10:11 - 21
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He who restrains his  lips is wise.- Proverbs 10:19
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   Thanks a lot," the man behind the postal counter said to the person in front of me. The clerk, Jon, had seen me in  line and was hoping I would overhear him. When it was my turn, I said hello to Jon, who had been a student of mine when i taught high school in the 1980s.
   "Did you notice what I said to her?" Jon asked. "I told her, 'Thanks a lot.'" Sensing that I was missing his point, he explained, "Remember what you told us about the term a lot ? You said  a lot was a piece of land, not a phrase to use instead of much."
   Astounding! An english lesson from a quarter-century before had stuck with Jon through all those years. That speaks clearly to us of the importance of what we say to others. It also backs up one of my favorite lines by poet Emily Dickinson:"A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day."
   The words we say may have long term consequences. Our coments, our compliments, and even our harsh critisms may stick with the hearer for decades.
   No wonder scripture says, "He who restrains his lips is wise" (Prov.10:19). The words we speak today live on. Let's make sure they com from "the tongue of the righteous"(v.20).- Dave Branon

Father, help me live today

With thoughtfulness in what I say

Confronting wrong with truth and facts,

Expressing gentleness and tact. -Hess

LIVING DECEPTIVELY...

READ: 2 tIMOTHY 3:10-17
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You have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. - 2 timothy 3:15
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    The year 2007 was labeled the "Year of Living Deceptively" for South Korea, b'coz of the country's numerous scandals involving fake academics and corrupt politicians. A survey of 340 professors selected the Chinese phrase "JA-GI-GI-IN" (deceiving yourself and others) to sum up the year.
   It should not surprise us to hear of deception like that. The apostle Paul wrote in 2Timothy 3:13, "Evil men and impostors will grow worse, deceiving and being deceived." To deceived is to make others beleive falsehood as truth and accept wrong as right.
   Our defense against deception is to know God's Word, for "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (v.16). Correction is to set right what is wrong, and Instruction is to make known what is right. God's Word not only makes us aware of wrongs, it also prompts and teaches us to what is right.
   Is your New Year's resolution to walk rightly before God and others and to be "throughly equipped for every good work"? (v.17). Then read and apply God's Word, asking the Lord to make you a person of integrity. -Albert Lee

When reading God's Word, take special care

To find the rich treasures hidden there;

Give thought to each truth, each precept hear

Then practice it well with godly fear. -Anon.

EATING AS WORSHIP

  When we walk into the bookstore and see a table filled with books on dieting, u know it must be January. After several wiks of overeating all kinds of holiday foods, people in many cultures turn their attention to not eating.
  Food plays an important role in Scripture. God uses it not only to bless us but also to teach us. Our misuse of food keeps us from knowing God in ways He wants to be known.
  In the old testament, God gave instruction to Adam as to what to eat (Gen. 2:16-17). Later He gave the israelites manna to convince them that he was God and to test them to find out if they believed Him (Ex. 16:12; Deut. 8:16). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul stated the proper attitude for everything we do, including eating: "whatever you Eat or Drink,...do all to glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). 
  When we think of food as a friend comforts us or enemy that makes us fat, we miss the wonder of receiving with gratitude a splendid gift from God. Obsessive eating or not eating indicates that we are focused on the gift rather than on the Giver, wgich is a form of Idolatry.
  When Eating becomes a true acts of worship, we will no longer worship food.- Julie Ackerman Link 

You alone are worthy, Lord

To be worshiped and adored;

We to You our tribute bring

As our hearts rejoice and sing. - Hess

DON'T WASTE YOUR BREATH!

if i were to scoop up a handful of dirt and blow into it, all i would get is a dirty face. When God did it, he got a living, breathing human being capable of thinking, feeling, dreaming, loving, reproducing, and living forever.


As one of this human beings, I speak of "catching" my breath "holding" my breath, or "saving" my breath, but these are idioms of language. I cannot save my breath for use at a later time. If i don't use the one now, I'll lose it, and may even lose consciousness.

When God breath into adam, He gave more than life; He gave a reason to live; Worship! As the plsamist said, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Ps. 150:6)

This means that we waste our breath when we use if for something that doesn't honor the One in whom "we live and move and have our being" (acts 17:28)

Although we cannot blow life into a handful of dirt, we can our breath to speak words of comfort, to sing songs of [raise, and to run to hel the sick and oppressed> When we use our breath to honor our Creator with our unique combination of talents, abilities, and opportunities, we will be wasting it. -Julie Ackerman Link

Breath on me, Breath of God
Fill me with life anew
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do - Natch