Category: Devotional

Wednesday

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us

as a means of helping the entire church.”

~1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT~

Nikki

Will you please add my niece to the Prayer Link. She has been siezing for the last 3 days. Today has been the worst for her. She has siezed 15 times so for and they are lasting 4 to 12 mins. The doctors are not sure what is wrong.
Thank you,
Lawana

Mrs. Lois Bridges called for a friend, Bonnie Cooper, to request prayer for her pastor, Rev. Ed. Griffin who pastors in Greensburg.

My cousin, Micah Tolleson, continues to have seizures.  Please read the last few posts on his CaringBridge page.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/micah_tolleson/journal?jid=5826161

ONE

blog_logo.jpgTO GIVE MY readers an idea of how many people on the Internet one member of the Lord’s church can influence — since January 1, 2009 until today, July 19, 2010, my article blog tracker tells me that I’ve experienced 41,975 visitors and 184,257 page views…

I’m averaging 69% new visitors and 31% returning visitors to the article blog, which tells me that there are folks out there in our world who are looking for God’s truth ( John 17:17). The site has now been viewed by some individual (or individuals) in 175 countries around our world.

With God’s help and a whole lot of fortitude, this is what one member of the Lord’s church can do. Just think what 100 members could do with 100 Bible article blogs.

Plus, think of the fact that we have the capability of teaching God’s word seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day — the World Wide Web never sleeps; never calls in sick; never takes a vacation; never gripes or complains — a wonderful medium and tool for spreading the saving gospel of Christ to a world lost in sin ( Romans 3:23).

Also, think of the fact that as we are teaching others the saving gospel of Christ, we are teaching ourselves as well ( Romans 2:21). In the process of teaching others, we will increasingly “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” ( 2 Peter 3:18), thus making ourselves “sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” ( 2 Timothy 2:21).

If any member of the Lord’s church would like to know more about how to set up your own blog, or a blog for the congregation of which you are a member, please contact Brother G.E. (Eddie) Watkins, owner and administrator of “The Preacher’s Files.” He will be more than happy to assist you in that effort.

Brethren, as “fellow workers” with God ( 1 Corinthians 3:9; cf.1 Corinthians 15:58), we can “turn the world upside down” for the cause of Christ ( Acts 17:1-6; cf. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; 2 Timothy 2:1-2). Mike Riley at: http://mbriley.preachersfiles.com/2010/07/19/what-one-member-can-do/

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”Matthew 5:16

Posted by Mike Benson

Like Mike Benson, I encourage you to use your abilities, talents, and gifts to spread the Good News.  You might be best at writing calls, making phone calls, teaching a class, singing in the choir, greeting visitors, visiting, or any one of a number of things.   Use thing things for God’s glory!

Anna Lee

Sunday

But you will not even need to fight.

Take your positions;

then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.

He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!

~2 Chronicles 20:17 (NLT)~

Continue to pray for Gretchen Simpson, Mrs. Catherine Yarborough, Mr. Billy Brabham, Micah Tolleson, and Stacey Scarle.

Today’s devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley

http://www.christianity.com/devotionals/in_touch/

Have a great Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

Friday

“Let the little children come to Me,

and don’t stop them,

because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,”

~Luke 18:16b~

CaringBridge

Continue to pray for three special ladies from our area.

  • Mrs. Annie Belle Harrell
  • Mrs. Catherine Yarborough
  • Ms. Stacey Scarle

Several church groups have returned from camp and other groups are leaving.  Pray for spiritual growth as well as safety for the campers and the chaperones.

Jimmy Dykes passed away last night.  Please pray for the Dykes family.

PLANNING AHEAD

The story is told of Morris, a Russian man, who saved his rubles for twenty years to buy a new car.  After choosing the model and options he wants, he’s not the least bit surprised or even concerned to learn that it will take two years for the new car to be delivered.  He thanks the salesman and starts to leave, but as he reaches the door he pauses and turns back to the salesman. “Do you know which week two years from now the new car will arrive?”

The salesman checks his notes and tells the man that it will be two years to the exact week.  The man thanks the salesman and starts out again, but upon reaching the door, he turns back again.

“Could you possibly tell me what day of the week two years from now the car will arrive?”

The salesman, mildly annoyed, checks his notes again and says that it will be exactly two years from this week, on Thursday.

Morris thanks the salesman and once again starts to leave.  Halfway though the door, he hesitates, turns back, and walks up to the salesman.

“I’m sorry to be so much trouble, but do you know if that will be two years from now on Thursday in the morning, or in the afternoon?”

Visibly irritated, the salesman flips through his papers yet another time and says sharply that it will be in the afternoon, two years from now on Thursday.

“That’s a relief !” says Morris.  “The plumber is coming that morning!”

We often have to make plans far in advance so as to avoid any conflicts. Before making any commitments — you know the routine — we have to pull out the date book (or the iPhone).  “The kids have got a soccer game that night at 7:00, but the next night is free.”  Planning ahead isn’t wrong; in fact, it’s a scriptural principle.  What makes it wrong, though, is planning ahead without any thought of God.

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ ” (James 4:13-15)

Go ahead!  Make your plans!  Fill in that date book!  Just make sure that God hasn’t been left out.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Thank you for praying today.  Your prayers mean so much to so many!

Anna Lee

Wednesday

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark,

Jesus got up, left the house and

went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

~Mark 1:35 (NIV)~

I talked with Joan Hagan.  She requests prayer for a heart rhythm problem.  Otherwise, she is doing well.

Mrs. Catherine Yarborough will be seeing another doctor today.  Pray for her as she gets test results and makes plans for treatment.

Mr. Billy Dean is in a room and doing better.  Please continue to pray for him.

Mr. Billy Brabham is home.  Pray for him and his family.

Continue to pray for Gretchen Simpson as she recovers from her back surgery.

Buel B. Strickland
A lifelong resident of Kentwood, Buel B. Strickland was born September 30, 1919 and died on July 7, 2010 at Kentwood Manor Nursing Home.
He was a WWII Veteran and a member of Kentwood United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Helen Strickland and many friends and relatives. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Florence.
At his request, his body was donated to LSU Medical Center in New Orleans.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.

SAD

bassett.jpgON TUESDAY OF last week an electrical storm passed over Vicksburg…

Lightning struck and peeled the bark off an oak tree in the side yard. The charge went down and killed our basset hound, Samson. Our children took it as you might expect.

Hannah had asked to see Samson before I buried him. I decided that seeing him would help her deal with the loss, and it did. As I was covering him, she placed a clod of dirt over his body and asked if doing so would hurt him. I told her that he no longer felt any pain. Then, she turned her attention from the dog to me and asked, “Daddy, if I died, would you be sad for me?”

Oh, how easy it is to pull on Daddy’s heartstrings. I didn’t have to think hard for the reason for that question. She wanted and needed the assurance that Daddy still truly loves his little girl.

The Bible teaches in Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” As a father, I cannot imagine giving my children everything there is to give in this life — food, clothing, shelter, love, affection, discipline, laughter, and fun — but then, in turn, neglect to teach them how much God loves them and how much they should love God. How could I not teach them that everthing we do as a family is centered on God and His Son Jesus Christ? How could I not teach them about God the Father and Son, who are revealed to us in the Bible, and how that we ought to attend to worship instead of going to a ballgame? How could I not teach them about burying the family pet? And how could I not teach them about how to react when life throws them a curve ball?

Dad, will your reassure your children that you love them? Will you rededicate your life to being the example for them as you follow YOUR Heavenly Father?

“Daddy, would you be sad for me?” The answer is beyond expression.

“A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal…” Proverbs 12:10a

Posted by Mike Benson

Have a great day!

Anna Lee

Tuesday

“I have not departed from the commands of his lips;

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.”

~Job 23:12, NIV~


Continue to pray for the children from FBC at kid’s camp at Camp Living Waters.  Pray for Tangipahoa Baptist Church as they continue VBS each night this week and the youth from Spring Creek as they attend camp in West Virginia.

Mr. Billy Dean has been experiencing problems with A-fib.  Please continue to pray for Bro. Charles’ dad.

Devotional by Rev. Rick Warren

http://profile.purposedriven.com/dailyhope/post.html?contentid=

Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 12, 2010
—————————————
Decisions for Christ are the greatest World Cup result
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33328
FIRST-PERSON: Does God care about the World Cup?
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33329
Pastors: Oil spill opens doors for ministry
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33330
Oil-spill ministries launched on Gulf Coast
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33331
Pretoria group tackles human trafficking
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33332
AIDS education ongoing in South Africa
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33333
FIRST-PERSON: Use video testimonials in your church
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33334

Make the most of another day God has given you!

Anna Lee

Monday

“For if, while we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,

[then how] much more, having been reconciled,

will we be saved by His life!”

~Romans 5:8, HCSB~

Pray for Jason Dean.  He has a problem with a disk in  his back.  He will not be able to lift anything for months, but the problem should clear up without surgery.

Pray for the children and adults from church who will be going to Camp Living Waters today.  Camp continues through Thursday night.

Please feel free to join us at the cabin Thursday night at 6:30 for food, fellowship, and a devotional.  Call or email if you have any questions.

TODAY’S PRAYER
IMB
JULY 12, 2010

“This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:6a)

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 King Juan Carlos I of Spain (southwestern Europe).

BANGKOK, THAILAND (BANG-kok). R, a Burmese woman, is a member of an international church in Bangkok. Her son studies at a university in southern Thailand. This past Christmas, R and her son handed out Christmas stockings in his city as part of a ministry sponsored by their church. The stockings contained homemade cookies, a Gospel tract, and a pen. R reports that 10 people who received the stockings have now become followers of Jesus. She is asking for help in getting Bibles and tracts to her son and the other believers there. There is a lot of interest in the Gospel among the 50,000 Burmese who live in southern Thailand. Pray for the Burmese church that meets at the international church as they try to organize a trip to deliver the requested discipleship materials and offer training to the local believers. Pray for Baptist representatives Martin and Carrie Chappell, who serve among the international community in Bangkok.

CENTRAL TIBETANS IN ASIA (ti-BEH-tuns). M, a young Central Tibetan Christian, has been overwhelmed with worry recently concerning her relationship with her husband and his family, none of whom are believers. The stress of the confusing situation even caused her to become suicidal. But the Lord saved her from inflicting too much harm, and also blessed her with a picture of reconciliation while she was praying about her circumstances. Petition God for protection from the evil one’s schemes to destroy her and her faith, and ask for reconciliation to be the reality. Pray that M will press into Jesus, daily surrendering her marriage to Him and living to glorify the Lord among her family!

Turning the Tide of our Nation

Rev. Charles Stanley

Join many others in praying for our nation for the next 140 days.  The first week is focused on Personal Preparation.  Read Psalms 51 and then pray each day this week.

“Count Your Blessings” today and thank God for each one.

Anna Lee

Friday

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord!

Call upon His name;

make known His deeds among the peoples!”

~Psalm 105:1~

Jimmy Dykes is better.  He is no longer on the ventilator.  Please continue to pray for him and his family.

Melissa S. Johnson asks for prayer for her cousins who are serving in the military and making numerous tours overseas.  Their names are Jorge and Manuel.

I got this from my Aunt today in an E Mail…….Please pray for my cousin Manuel (Chacho) Martinez he is 26 years old and this is his 4th time over there. His brother Jorge is back.

Going to Dallas tomorrow to spend the weekend with my baby boy Chacho who is deploying to Afganastan. He will be gone a year. I am having a real hard time with this one. This will be the fifth deployment between Chacho and Jorge.  Please pray for us.

Joyce Murray Besse
(November 4, 1963 – July 7, 2010)

PEOPLE ARE SIGNIFICANT

The author of the following article is unknown to me:

“During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one:   ‘What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”  Surely this was some kind of joke.  I had seen the cleaning woman several times.  She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

“I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.  Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

“‘Absolutely,’ said the professor.  ‘In your careers you will meet many people.  All are significant.  They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello.’

“I’ve never forgotten that lesson.  I also learned her name was Dorothy.”

When you look at the life of Jesus, one of the things that stands out is the value Jesus placed on people.  He didn’t just see everybody as a mass of humanity; he made an effort to know people on an individual basis.  And as he came to know them, he acknowledged and met their needs.  The gospel of Luke is filled with stories of many of these people and their encounters with Jesus.  He was compassionate to the poor, the sick, the hurting, the sinful.

The story of Zacchaeus is typical of so many of Jesus’ encounters:  “Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ ” (Luke 19:2-4)

People deserve our attention and care, even those people who may seem to be “insignificant” — because of appearance, because of a lack of wealth, because of a handicap, because of their occupation.  By the way, do you know the name of the person who cleans your school or workplace?  If not, I encourage you to find out.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a great day!

Anna Lee

Tuesday

For we are God’s workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.

~Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)~

Thank God for the rain and hopefully some cooler temperatures.

Pray for Gretchen V. Simpson as she has back surgery July 8th.  I know she will appreciated your prayers.

CaringBridge

Devotional: Cell by Mike Benson

Thanks for praying today.  Your prayers mean so much to so many.

Anna Lee


Monday

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord,

you must continue to follow him.

~Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT)~

Mrs. Mary Nell Kliesch fell and broke her left wrist and hurt her head yesterday.  Pray for her as she goes through the healing process.

Whitney Kliesch is home for a while.  I know his family is excited to see him.  Pray for a good visit.

PARENTING TEENAGERS

The following piece is “author unknown” but came to me via American Family Association.  It will be especially meaningful to those of you who are parents of teenagers:

“I just realized that while children are dogs — loyal and affectionate — teenagers are cats.  It’s so easy to be a dog owner.  You feed it, train it, boss it around.  It puts its head on your knees and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting.  It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it.

“Then around age 13 your adorable little puppy turns into a big old cat.  When you tell it to come inside it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor.  Instead of dogging your footsteps, it disappears. You won’t see it again until it gets hungry — then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen to turn up its nose up at whatever you’re serving.

“When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.  You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it.  It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed.  It won’t go on family outings.

“Since you’re the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong.  Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.  Only now you’re dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result.  Call it, and it runs away.  Tell it to sit, and it jumps the counter.  The more you go toward it wringing your hands, the more it moves away.

“Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you have to learn to behave like a cat owner.  Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you.  But remember that a cat needs your help and affection too.  Sit still and it will come, seeking the warm, comfortable lap it has not entirely forgotten.  Be there to open the door for it.  One day, your grown up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, “You’ve been on your feet all day.  Let me get those dishes for you.”

“Then you will realize your cat is a dog again.”   [author unknown]

Parenting is a tremendous challenge and can especially be difficult during the teenage years.  In my more exasperating moments as a parent, I was tempted to believe that Mark Twain’s philosophy was the one to follow.  He said when a kid turns thirteen, stick him in a barrel, nail the lid on top, and feed him through the knot hole.  When he turns sixteen — plug up the knot hole!

Then I remember the patience that my heavenly Father has with me.  As frustrated as I have gotten with my children at times, I know that God must become even more frustrated with me (“How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?”  “You’re old enough to know better!”).  And yet he refuses to give up on me.  His loving patience continually draws me back to him.

“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4)

Father (what a privilege it is to call you that!), thank you for being the perfect parent.  Help me, as a parent, to follow your example as I seek to bring my children to a faith in you.  What a tremendous responsibility you have given me!  Please grant me the strength and the wisdom necessary to fulfill this task.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a merry Monday!

Anna Lee