Friday

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning.

He decided from the outset to shape the lives

of those who love him

along the same lines as the life of his Son. . . .

We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.

~Romans 8:29 (MSG)~

CaringBridge – Callie Cole

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/calliecole/journal?jid=5701322

TODAY’S PRAYER
IMB
JUNE 25, 2010

“Hear my cry, O God;

attend to my prayer.

From the end of the earth I will cry to You.”

~Psalm 61:1-2a~

WORLD LEADERS. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Please pray today for Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic of Serbia (southeastern Europe, between Macedonia and Hungary).

CHURCH PLANTING IN ZIMBABWE. Excited shouts and laughter could be heard as people from four villages in South-Central Zimbabwe walked swiftly toward the baptismal site. The drizzling rain and temperatures in the upper 60s could not dampen the enthusiasm of the 97 new Christians awaiting baptism in a ditch filled with runoff rainwater. Two pastors entered the water and then led the new believers in a hymn, a Scripture reading, and prayer. Among those who were baptized were young children and teenagers, as well as young, middle-aged and seemingly ancient adults. In African culture, baptism is very significant. It publicly demonstrates a person’s willingness to break with his traditional religious beliefs and practices. “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away, behold new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB). Pray that these “new creatures” will truly leave their old ways and ancestral spirits behind and learn to walk in the Spirit of the Living God!

PERSIANS OF IRAN (PURR-zhuns). In Acts 2:9, we read of Parthians, Medes and Elamites from the Persian Empire. They heard the Gospel message at Pentecost. Some returned to the Iranian region as believers in Jesus; there are ancient churches still in Iran with links to these groups found in Acts. The Christian presence in Iran is much older than Islam. Sadly, it has dwindled to a very small minority of the population. A small number of these ethnic Christians are evangelical, but most are not. During and after the 1979 revolution, more than 2 million Iranians left Iran for the West. Among them was a disproportionately large number of Christians, thus further reducing the relative proportion of Christians in the total population of Iran. Despite the small number of church buildings in the country, God’s church in Iran is growing. Thousands of people are coming to faith in Christ. There is a need for solid biblical teaching and well-grounded church leadership in Iran. Pray that ethnic Christians who attend ancient churches will realize their need for a personal relationship with Christ. Ask God to bring true revival to these churches, and ask that they will reach out boldly to the Muslims around them. Also pray that new believers from a Muslim background will be well grounded in their faith. Ask God to give them a deep hunger and thirst for His Word. Pray that they will be able to meet together in safety for Bible study and worship. http://centralasia.imb.org/
OUR TEACHER AND HIS TEXT

As those of you who are college students know, at the end of each semester you are asked to fill out a form evaluating the teacher and the text.  The following comments were taken from MIT forms in the fall of 1991:

“Have you ever fell asleep in class and awoke in another? That’s the way I felt all term.”

“The recitation instructor would make a good parking lot attendant.  Tries to tell you where to go, but you can never understand him.”

“Text is useless. I use it to kill roaches in my room.”

“In this class, the syllabus is more important than you are.”

“Text makes a satisfying `thud’ when dropped on the floor.”

“Textbook is confusing… Someone with a knowledge of English should proofread it.”

“Help!  I’ve fallen asleep and I can’t wake up!”

“Recitation was great. It was so confusing that I forgot who I was, where I was, and what I was doing — it’s a great stress reliever.”

“He teaches like Speedy Gonzalez on a caffeine high.”

“Information was presented like a ruptured fire hose — spraying in all directions, no way to stop it.”

“What’s the quality of the text, you ask? `Text is printed on high quality paper.'”

I can remember that it was easier to say nice things about some of my teachers in college than it was some of the others.  However, when it comes to evaluating my spiritual “Teacher” and his text, I can’t begin to say enough good things.  How would I evaluate the text?

“All Scripture is given by God and is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right.  Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be capable, having all that is needed to do every good work.”  (2 Tim. 3:16-17, NCV)

And the teacher?

“LORD, teach me what you want me to do, and I will live by your truth.  Teach me to respect you completely.  Lord, my God, I will praise you with all my heart, and I will honor your name forever.  You have great love for me….” (Psa. 86:11-13a).

Praise to Him who is the greatest teacher we have ever known!  May our ears always be attentive to his instruction!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a great day!

Anna Lee