Christian Corner

[Anonymous]

Today's devotional from Our Daily Bread is about real love.



A few years ago, my friend's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Since then, Beth has been forced to make tough decisions about her mom's care, and her heart has often been broken as she watched her vibrant and fun-loving mom slowly slipping away. In the process, my friend has learned that real love is not always easy or convenient.



After her mom was hospitalized for a couple of days last year, Beth wrote these words to some of her friends: "As backwards as it may seem, I'm very thankful for the journey I am on with my mom. Behind the memory loss, confusion, and utter helplessness is a beautiful person who loves life and is at complete peace. I am learning so much about what real love is, and even though I probably wouldn't have asked for this journey and the tears and heartache that go with it, I wouldn't trade it for anything."



The Bible reminds us that love is patient and kind. It is not self-seeking or easily angered. It "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:4-7).



Real love originated with our Father, who gave us the gift of His Son. As we seek to show His love to others, we can follow the example of Christ, who laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16-18).



Real love is helping others for Jesus' sake even if they can never return the favor.

[Odinson]

Okay my 2nd to last one post was a real gem...  :D



Oops.

[Anonymous]

Today's devotional is about integrity.

 

We call it the Integrity League, but it's really just a bunch of guys who get together at lunchtime to play basketball. We call fouls on ourselves, attempt to avoid angry outbursts, and simply try to keep everything fair and enjoyable. We are competitive and we don't like to lose—but we all agree that integrity and honesty should control the atmosphere.



Integrity. Scripture clearly indicates the importance of this trait. And we honor the God of our lives when we practice it.



Through His Word, God has given us clear reasons to "walk in . . . integrity" (Ps. 26:11). A person who has integrity has the security of a quiet life unknown to the one who "perverts his ways" (Prov. 10:9). The follower of God who lives with integrity is preserved by his confidence in God, for that person waits for God's intervention in his life instead of running ahead of Him (Ps. 25:21). And the one who practices integrity will be given guidance and clear direction (Prov. 11:3).



Why should we care about life's "Integrity League"? Because obeying God this way shows that we trust Him with our lives and that we want to shine His great love on others.

Dear Father, help my word be true. Help my

actions be honest. Help my life to

reflect Your holiness and shine God's light

for all to see. Help me to live with integrity.



Integrity is Christlike character in workclothes.

[Anonymous]

Living Backward



December 16, 2013



The Chicago River is unusual because it flows backward. Engineers reversed its direction over a century ago because city-dwellers were using it as a dump. Dishwater, sewage, and industrial waste all funneled into the river, which emptied into Lake Michigan. Since the lake supplied drinking water for the city, thousands grew sick and died before city authorities decided to redirect the river to flow backward, away from the lake.



When we look at the earthly life of Jesus, it may seem backward from what we would expect. As the King of glory, He came to earth as a vulnerable infant. As God in the flesh, He endured accusations of blasphemy. As the only sinless man, He was crucified as a criminal. But Jesus lived on earth according to God's will (John 6:38).



As followers of Christ, to clothe ourselves with Jesus' attitudes and actions may appear "backward." Blessing our enemies (Rom. 12:14), valuing godliness over wealth (1 Tim. 6:6-9), and taking joy in hardship (James 1:2) seem to oppose worldly wisdom. Yet, Jesus said, "Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matt. 16:25).



Don't worry if living your life sometimes means operating in reverse. God will give you the strength to honor Him, and He will propel you forward.

Dear God, please give me the strength to go

against the flow of this world. Help me to resist

what is wrong in Your eyes and to act in ways

that please You, for the glory of Your name.



Clothing ourselves with Jesus' attitudes and actions shows His presence in our lives.

[Anonymous]

Today's sermon was titled Standing Up in Faith with Daniel 3:1-30 and Revelation 7:9-17 as a reference..



The purpose was to encourage followers of Jesus to stand up in faith knowing he is with them, to resist putting trust in idols, and to know God's hand will redeem the way we worship.

[Anonymous]

Devotional for January 8, 2014.



The Hidden Life



Some years ago, I came across a poem by George MacDonald titled, "The Hidden Life." It tells the story of an intellectually gifted young Scot who turned his back on a prestigious academic career to return to his aging father and to the family farm. There he engaged in what MacDonald called, "ordinary deeds" and "simple forms of human helpfulness." His friends lamented what they saw as a waste of his talents.



Perhaps you too serve in some unnoticed place, doing nothing more than ordinary deeds. Others might think that's a waste. But God wastes nothing. Every act of love rendered for His sake is noted and has eternal consequences. Every place, no matter how small, is holy ground. Influence is more than lofty acts and words. It can be a simple matter of human helpfulness: being present, listening, understanding the need, loving, and praying. This is what turns daily duty into worship and service.



The apostle Paul challenged the Colossians: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus," and "do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance" (Col. 3:17,23-24). God takes notice and delights in using us.

Dear Lord, may I be willing to be hidden and unknown

today, yet ready to speak a word to those who are

weary. May Your Spirit touch my words and make

them Your words that enrich and refresh others.



The way to accomplish much for Christ is to serve Him in any way we can.





Insight

In contrast to Colossians 3:8-10, where Paul describes some of the behaviors that followers of Christ are to leave behind through the help of His transforming power, verses 12-16 describe several of the new attributes that a Christian should demonstrate. There is an interesting interplay between verses 12-14 and 15-16. We are to "put on" certain character traits, actively investing in their development (vv.12-14). However, we are to "let" the peace of God rule in our hearts and the word of Christ dwell in us (vv.15-16). The development of Christlike character is the result of the Holy Spirit's work in us and our response of yielding to Him.

[Anonymous]

Devotional for January, 13, 2014.



Much More Than Survival



In April 1937, Mussolini's invading armies forced all the missionaries serving in the Wallamo region to flee Ethiopia. They left behind just 48 Christian converts, who had little more than the gospel of Mark to feed their growth. Few even knew how to read. But when the missionaries returned 4 years later, the church had not just survived; it numbered 10,000!



When the apostle Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-10), he yearned to learn about the survival of the small band of Christians he left behind (1 Thess. 2:17). But when Timothy visited the Thessalonian church later, he brought word to Paul in Athens about their "faith and love" (1 Thess. 3:6). They had become "examples" to the believers in the surrounding regions in Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thess. 1:8).



Paul never claimed credit for any numerical increase in his ministry. Nor did he attribute it to anyone else. Rather, he gave credit to God. He wrote, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase" (1 Cor. 3:6).



Difficult circumstances may thwart even our best intentions, separating friends from each other for a season. But God is growing His church through every difficulty. We need only be faithful and leave the results to Him.

Lord, we are so prone to be fearful when we face

opposition, yet so often we want to take credit

for every little success. Help us see that You are

the One who blesses and builds Your church.



I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. —Jesus (Matthew 16:18)

[Anonymous]

Devotional for January 17, 2014.



Heavenly Perspective



Fanny Crosby lost her sight as an infant. Yet, amazingly, she went on to become one of the most well-known lyricists of Christian hymns. During her long life, she wrote over 9,000 hymns. Among them are such enduring favorites as "Blessed Assurance" and "To God Be the Glory."



Some people felt sorry for Fanny. A well-intentioned preacher told her, "I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you." It sounds hard to believe, but she replied: "Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind? . . . Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior."



Fanny saw life with an eternal perspective. Our problems look different in light of eternity: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:17-18).



All our trials dim when we remember that one glorious day we will see Jesus!

Dear God, please help us to see this life

from a heavenly perspective. Remind us that

our trials, however difficult, will one day fade

from view when we see You face to face.



The way we view eternity will affect the way we live in time.



Insight

Christ-followers will experience trials and tribulation in this life. Christian ministry, like any other activity, carries with it the wear and tear of opposition, resistance, and disappointment. Paul acknowledges this reality but finds more than enough power and encouragement from his inner spiritual transformation to carry on. In Paul's mind, the final outcome will be an "eternal weight of glory" (v.17). In all this, perspective is essential. "For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (v.18). The Greek word temporary could be translated "for a season." The good and ills we face each day are only seasonal, but the reality of Christ will last for all eternity. This perspective gives the believer staying power to face life's challenges.

[Anonymous]

Today's devotional titled Greatness coincides with Martin Luther King Day in the United States.



Some people feel like a small pebble lost in the immensity of a canyon. But no matter how insignificant we judge ourselves to be, we can be greatly used by God.



In a sermon early in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. quoted Jesus' words from Mark 10 about servanthood. Then he said, "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love."



When Jesus' disciples quarreled about who would get the places of honor in heaven, He told them: "Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:43-45).



I wonder about us. Is that our understanding of greatness? Are we gladly serving, doing tasks that may be unnoticed? Is the purpose of our serving to please our Lord rather than to gain applause? If we are willing to be a servant, our lives will point to the One who is truly great.

No service in itself is small,

None great, though earth it fill;

But that is small that seeks its own,

And great that does God's will. —Anon.



Little things done in Christ's name are great things.

[Anonymous]

Today's devotional is entitled Load Line.



In the 19th century, ships were often recklessly overloaded, resulting in those ships going down and the crews being lost at sea. In 1875, to remedy this negligent practice, British politician Samuel Plimsoll led the charge for legislation to create a line on the side of a ship to show if it was carrying too much cargo. That "load line" became known as the Plimsoll Line, and it continues to mark the hulls of ships today.



Sometimes, like those ships, our lives can seem overloaded with fears, struggles, and heartaches. We can even feel that we are in danger of going under. In those times, however, it is reassuring to remember that we have a remarkable resource. We have a heavenly Father who stands ready to help us carry that load. The apostle Peter said, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:6-7). He is capable of handling the cares that overwhelm us.



Though the testings of life may feel like a burden too heavy to bear, we can have full assurance that our heavenly Father loves us deeply and knows our load limits. Whatever we face, He will help us to bear it.

Heavenly Father, I sometimes feel as if I can't go

on. I am tired, I am weak, and I am worn. Thank You

that You know my limits better than I do. And that, in

Your strength, I can find the enablement to endure.



God may lead us into troubled waters to deepen our trust in Him.





Insight

Peter wrote from his own experience when he warned that "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (v.5). When foretold that he would deny Jesus (Matt. 26:34; Luke 22:31-34), Peter boasted that he would never betray Him (Matt. 26:35). In his pride, Peter underestimated the severity of his trial and overestimated his ability to deal with the pressure (vv.69-75). Thirty years later, he exhorted his readers to be humble (1 Peter 5:5). Because God resists the proud (v.5), Scripture repeatedly warns of the danger of pride (Prov. 11:2; 29:23; Isa. 2:11-12; Obad. 1:3-4; James 4:6-7).

[Anonymous]

Today's devotional is titled Buyer's Remorse.



Have you ever experienced buyer's remorse? I have. Just prior to making a purchase, I feel the surge of excitement that comes with getting something new. After buying the item, however, a wave of remorse sometimes crashes over me. Did I really need this? Should I have spent the money?



In Genesis 3, we find the first record of a buyer's remorse. The whole thing began with the crafty serpent and his sales pitch. He persuaded Eve to doubt God's Word (v.1). He then capitalized on her uncertainty by casting doubt on God's character (vv.4-5). He promised that her eyes would "be opened" and she would become "like God" (v.5).



So Eve ate. Adam ate. And sin entered the world. But the first man and woman got more than they bargained for. Their eyes were opened all right, but they didn't become like God. In fact, their first act was to hide from God (vv.7-8).



Sin has dire consequences. It always keeps us from God's best. But God in His mercy and grace clothed Adam and Eve in garments made from animal skins (v.21)—foreshadowing what Jesus Christ would do for us by dying on the cross for our sins. His blood was shed so that we might be clothed with His righteousness—with no remorse!

Then will I set my heart to find

Inward adornings of the mind:

Knowledge and virtue, truth and grace,

These are the robes of richest dress. —Watts



The cross, which reveals the righteousness of God, provides that righteousness for mankind.



Insight

Satan misapplied God's words in today's passage. God's prohibition against eating applied only to the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:16-17), not to every tree (3:1). Satan's phrase "You will not surely die" (v.4) was a direct challenge to God's declaration, "You shall surely die" (2:17). In turn, Eve also modified God's clear instruction: "nor shall you touch it" (3:3). The story of the fall is a clear warning to us to study and know God's Word so that we will not be led astray.

[Anonymous]

Today's devotional is titled An Important Command and is written by Philip Yancey.

 

When asked by a lawyer to identify the most important rule in life, Jesus replied, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). In those words, Jesus summed up what God most desires from us.



I wonder how I can possibly learn to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind. Neal Plantinga remarks on a subtle change in this commandment as recorded in the New Testament. Deuteronomy charges us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength (6:5). Jesus added the word mind. Plantinga explains, "You shall love God with everything you have and everything you are. Everything."



That helps us change our perspective. As we learn to love God with everything, we begin to see our difficulties as "our light and momentary troubles"—just as the apostle Paul described his grueling ordeals. He had in mind a "far more exceeding and eternal . . . glory" (2 Cor. 4:17).



In the advanced school of prayer, where one loves God with the entire soul, doubts and struggles do not disappear, but their effect on us diminishes. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19), and our urgent questions recede as we learn to trust His ultimate goodness.

Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;

Now Thee alone I seek; give what is best.

This all my prayer shall be:

More love, O Christ, to Thee. —Prentiss



The most treasured gift we can give to God is one that He can never force us to give—our love.





Insight

Many Bible scholars believe that Mark's gospel record was written primarily to a Roman audience. Part of the reason for this view is rooted in the fast-paced presentation of the story of Jesus with a focus on action and movement. Also contributing to this thinking is Mark's occasional parenthetical explanations of Jewish practices that would likely have been foreign to the people of Rome. One example is seen in Mark 7:3-4, where the ceremonial washing of hands is described.

[Odinson]

Look at this... Not photoshopped.



http://pics.kuvaton.com/kuvei/selfie3.jpg">

[Anonymous]

Look at this... Not photoshopped.



http://pics.kuvaton.com/kuvei/selfie3.jpg">

That is amazing....that is a young man who needs to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

[Odinson]

I´m somewhat scared of heights when climbing up structures..



I once fixed a cross-light on top of a church tower... I had a rope and a harness though..



I did it to get the hazardous extra pay.



Russians do all kinds funky stuff.