Maybe this Time

June Quote

... and beauty is fleeting;

--- Proverbs 31:30

 

Cover Yourself with Him

 

Cover Yourself with Him

Today's Scripture:

Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature]
Romans 13:14, AMP.

Today's Word:

Is there something in your life that you would like to put a stop to today? Maybe it’s a certain behavior, addiction or bad attitude that isn’t pleasing to God? Just as Adam and Eve were exposed in their sin and needed to be clothed in the Garden, we need to clothe ourselves to protect us from sin. When you “clothe yourself” with the Lord Jesus Christ, He strengthens you against temptation.

How do you clothe yourself with Jesus Christ? In the same way you cover yourself in the natural with clothing—by putting something on. You have to daily “put on” the Word of God. You have to cover your ears by listening to the Word. You cover your eyes by watching only what is pleasing to the Lord. You cover your mouth by speaking the Word and encouraging those around you. As you cover yourself with Christ, you will be strong against temptation, and you will walk in the victory the Lord has planned for you!

Prayer for Today:

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for my sins. Thank You for providing a way out of temptation so that I can stand clean before You. Help me stand strong as I cover myself with Your Word in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

***

 

Share the Joy of Your Salvation

13 hours ago

by Rick Warren

                                    

“He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10b NLT)
If you want to get your joy back, you 1) admit it’s gone, then you 2) analyze the cause. Then, 3) correct what’s wrong, and 4) get an attitude of gratitude.
There are three more steps to recovering your joy that we’ll talk about today.

First, you have to spend time with God every day.
It may be hard to imagine that God wants to spend time with you. He’s got a whole lot of things going on, doesn’t he? But throughout Scripture, God invites us to come into his presence. And there’s a joy that comes when we spend time with God in a daily quiet time, because we learn to hear his voice and find out what he wants us to do with our lives. The more time you spend with God, the deeper your friendship with him develops.

Second, you need to find a way to give back. The Bible says this in Ephesians 2:10: “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (NLT). In tough times, it’s very easy to get self-centered. But the truth is, the more you focus on yourself, the more joy you lose.
I’ve traveled around the world, and I’ve been in many closed countries where people are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. You know what I’ve discovered? The persecuted Christians are the most joyful people in the world. Why? Because it means something to them. They’re not casual, “take it or leave it” Christians. The right to worship and their freedom in Christ means something to them. And, they’re far more joyful.
You need to find a way to give back. Once you take the focus off yourself, you’ll find your joy returning.

Finally, to recover your joy, you need to tell somebody about Jesus.
Nothing will restore your joy faster than becoming concerned about the salvation of a friend. The Bible says that every time somebody accepts the Lord, they throw a party in Heaven. Did you know that? Luke 15:7 says, “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes his heart and life” (NCV). The day you stepped across the line, they threw a party in Heaven for you. And the day you help somebody come to know the Lord, there’s going to be a party in your heart. The joy returns as you share with others.

Pray this prayer today: “Father, help me to return love for hate, joy for grief, and kindness for apathy. May the joy of the Lord be so evident on my face that people will want to know why and know the hope that is in me. Help me to be obedient to what you have told me to do. Help me to focus on your blessings in my life so that I will have an attitude of gratitude for your faithfulness. Restore the joy of my salvation so that I can share that joy with others and help them to find their own joy through a relationship with you. Thank you that I can have hope and joy through Jesus Christ. Amen.”

 

 

June Quote

Charm is deceptive,
--- Proverbs 31:30

 

Seek First

Seek First

Today's Scripture:

All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God…
Isaiah 26:9, NLT.

Today's Word:

Jesus said in Matthew 6, “Seek first the kingdom of God.” That word “seek” is a strong word. One definition is “to require as a vital necessity.” You have to see spending time with God as being vital to living a victorious life because some mornings we think, “I don’t want to get up early. I don’t feel like reading my Bible. I don’t feel like going to church today.” But once you get in a habit and see the benefits of how you feel refreshed and restored, you make better decisions, you’re more creative, you have God’s favor, and then you’ll think, “I can’t afford not to do it. When I don’t spend time with God, I don’t feel right. Something is missing.” “When I don’t go to church I don’t have the wisdom, the clarity, the direction. I don’t have the boost that I need for the week.”

Scripture says, “Seek first.” That indicates that we should take time for God at the start of the day. Don’t give Him your leftover time. Make Him a part of your normal routine. Make Him your first priority. Seek Him first, seek Him earnestly, and watch what He will do on your behalf.

Prayer for Today:

Father, today I choose to put You first. I acknowledge that without You, I can do nothing. I invite You to have Your way in my life as I seek You first in all that I do in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

Obedience Is the Secret to Joy

1 days ago

by Rick Warren

“Let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40 NLT)

Joy is an easy thing to lose, but it’s also an easy thing to get back. After you admit that you’ve lost your joy, you need to analyze the cause. You have to look at your life and ask yourself, “How did I lose my joy? What is robbing my joy?”
The Bible tells us many times in Scripture to examine our lives. Lamentations 3:40 says, “Let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord” (NLT).
There are hundreds of killjoys in life, but the two most common I see in people’s lives are an unbalanced schedule and unused talent. You have to have a balance between rest and work, input and output. And you have to use your unique, God-given talents, or you’re going to get frustrated. Take whatever percent of your talent that’s not being used in your job and use it for ministry. If you’re in a job that uses less than 25 percent of your talent, then get out.
Once you’ve figured out how you lost your joy, you need to correct what’s wrong.
Do you know what will rob your joy faster than anything else? When you know the right thing to do and you don’t do it.
The Bible says in James 4:17, “It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”
So let me ask you: What do you know you need to be doing but you’re not? What has God told you to do but you haven’t started doing yet?
The secret to continual, abundant, and overflowing joy is obedience. It’s doing what God tells you to do. Every time you do what God tells you to do, your life’s going to be filled with joy.
You’re also going to be filled with joy when you think about what’s good in your life. David says in Psalm 126:3, “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (NIV). The more you focus on what God has done for you, the more joy you’re going to have in your life. Why? Because it produces gratitude. And the attitude of gratitude is the healthiest human emotion.
If you want to get your joy back, first you admit it’s gone, then you analyze the cause. Then, correct what’s wrong, and get an attitude of gratitude. Tomorrow we’ll talk about the last three steps to recovering your joy.
Talk It Over

• What do you need to do to balance your schedule so that it does not steal your joy?
• What has God told you to do but you haven’t started doing yet?

 

Steps at Thistle

 

June Quote

... out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

--- Proverbs 31:16

 

Honor Him in All That You Do

Honor Him in All That You Do

Today's Scripture:

Remind people to be submissive to [their] magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work.
Titus 3:1, AMP.

Today's Word:

In what ways do you honor God? A lot of times, people think, “I go to church to honor God. I read my Bible to honor God. I sing and clap to honor God.” And yes, those are ways to honor God, but did you know that you honor God just as much when you get to work on time? You honor God when you are productive each day and honor the people in authority over you. You honor God when you excel in your career.

Actions speak louder than words. When you give your very best in the workplace, your whole life is giving praise to God—it’s one of the best witnesses you could ever have. Just showing up with a good attitude, friendly, organized, being your best—people will notice there’s something different about you. They’ll want what you have.

As believers, we should set the standard in all areas of life. People should see the depth of your character and your spirit of excellence and know that you are a child of the Most High God. Make the decision to honor Him in all that you do because you are His representative in the earth today!

Prayer for Today:

Father, I choose to honor You in all that I do. I choose to set the standard and do my very best. Thank You for the privilege to be Your representative. I love You and bless You in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

***
Get Your Joy Back

13 hours ago

by Rick Warren

“The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17 NLT)

What’s the easiest thing for you to lose? Your glasses? Your keys? Your mind?
The easiest thing of all to lose is your joy. You can lose it with one phone call or email, a letter or conversation. You can watch a commercial on TV and lose your joy. It’s the easiest thing in the world to lose. And a lot of people in a lot of circumstances are conspiring to rob it from you.
When God’s children aren’t filled with joy, it makes God look bad. Cranky Christians are a bad witness. They look like they’ve been baptized in vinegar because they’re never really smiling. And that makes God look bad.
Why? Because God wants us to be witnesses with our countenance.
The Bible tells us that the Christian life can be summed up in three words: goodness, peace, and joy. Romans 14:17 says, “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (NLT).
The reality is, though, that you can lose your joy so quickly, and there are thousands of ways to lose it. There are thousands of killjoys in life that will rob you of your joy, even to the point that somebody like Jeremiah, a prophet of God, could say this in Lamentations 5:15, “There is no joy left in our hearts” (GW).
I don’t know if that’s where you are today, but if you’ve ever gone through that period where you feel like you’ve lost the spark and you’re not as close to God as you used to be and you’re just going through the motions of life, you need to know that it’s quite easy to get your joy back, too.
So, how do you get your joy back?
The first step you need to do is admit you’ve lost it.
You simply look at your past and ask yourself a couple of questions: Has there ever been a time in your life when you were closer to God than you are right now? Has there ever been a time in your life when you were more joyful in the Lord than you are right now?
Now is the time to make the change. But you’ve got to start by admitting that you’ve lost what you’ve had in the past. You could ask God about it; he’s waiting to help you. David prayed this in Psalm 51:12: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (NIV).
Talk It Over

• Think of a time when you were more joyful in the Lord. What was different then about your spiritual walk and quiet time?
   
• What are the things that rob you of your joy? Do those things change anything about God? Should they change anything about how much you love him and trust him?

Learning from the young

            

BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE) By Francis J. Kong 

(The Philippine Star) | Updated August 18, 2012 - 12:00am

When I was invited a couple of weeks ago to sit as one of the judges of the board for this year’s prestigious “Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines”, I was very elated.

When I met my fellow judges – AIM Professor Dr. Soledad, child development specialist Dr. Luis Gatmaitan, top-notch journalist Maria Ressa and Commisision on Audit head and chair of the board Heidi Mendoza – I was all the more honored.

I knew the charge given to me – of evaluating the 30 students vying for a spot in the list – wasn’t going to be easy. The board asked questions. We probed, discussed, compared notes, and evaluated. The day turned out to be a long one which left me tired… and inspired! I actually learned much from the experience.

With 30 students proficient and accomplished in different ways, we judges noticed one thing they have in common: they all share high hopes for the future. They see what the government is going through, but they acknowledge that there are also good things happening in the country. They understand that despite the gaps and loopholes, there’s a sincere effort to clean up corruption and make things better. They believe that things can be better.

I think that’s good. Change and progress will never happen when there’s no hope from the young that change and progress can happen. Contrast this to the Doom and Gloom Club members – the naysayers who have a propensity to look at the glass being half empty rather than half full.

As a leader in my business organization and a father to my kids, I need to be a merchant of hope. I need to steer my people to the endless possibilities of achievement rather than confine their hearts and minds to misery and hopelessness.

 

Some people are whiners. They love to whine so much, they ought to have cheese while doing it, for the perfect combination: whine and cheese. They never see anything positive, and they love bad news. People like this are everywhere. Many are in the work place. Look closely around you – they are those who look exactly like their driver license photos!

You know what was inspiring about the students? Many of them were forced to study well because of poverty, because they had to. Tears would fall from their eyes as they narrated how they fought the odds to get to the top of the class and the school. One girl had to walk some distance everyday after school to the house where she works as a domestic helper. The meager income she makes from housekeeping is for her allowance and for their household’s expenses.

Necessity is indeed a great motivation.

But necessity shouldn’t be mistaken for desperation. Desperation drives people to compromise morals. People who give in to desperation live the rest of their lives in regret as a result. Desperation makes wise men fools as they seek quick gains just to suffer long-term pains later on. Contentment with godliness is great gain, the Bible says.

But contentment shouldn’t be mistaken for idleness. Idleness is a disease, but working hard, a virtue.

When I recall just how hard those young people have worked to accomplish what they’ve accomplished, I realize something. I realize that doing a lot of work doesn’t always wear one down. Doing a lot of work to accomplish more actually adds enthusiasm to working and achieving more. This is true for me. But idleness wears a person down. When there’s no excellence in work performance, no accomplishment will come in sight. And when there’s no accomplishment, no success will come in sight. You can blame and finger point all you want, and come up with a thousand reasons why life has not treated you fair and how you’ve been a victim of injustice, but when you aren’t really performing to produce results to begin with, the drill will eventually become tiring.

As for every one of those 30 students, I’ve no doubt that they will all succeed in life, so long as they work hard and with integrity. Nations, businesses and lives are similar in this sense, that they need to BUILD UP first, before they can achieve BREAK THROUGH.

Congratulations to all the winners of the “Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines”!

June Quote

She considers a field and buys it,

--- Proverbs 31:16

 

Who God Rewards

Who God Rewards

Today's Scripture:

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6, NIV.

Today's Word:

Do you see God as a rewarder today? Notice this verse doesn’t say that God rewards those who “deserve” it, or those who have “earned” it. It doesn’t say that God rewards those who act perfectly and never make mistakes. No, God’s blessing isn’t based on our performance; it’s based on our faith—our belief in Him and His goodness. In fact, one verse says that He longs to be good to those who are looking for His goodness!

I encourage you today to spend some time meditating on His goodness and dwelling on His faithfulness. Look for Him and expect Him to act. Spend some time reading the Psalms and begin to praise and thank Him for all He is doing. Open your eyes of faith and see all of the wonderful things He has prepared for you. Let His Word shape your thoughts, and remember, He is a rewarder! He wants to bless you today because you earnestly seek after Him!

Prayer for Today:

Father God, thank You for Your Word which fills my heart with faith. I believe that You are good and You are a rewarder of those who seek after You. I seek You today. I acknowledge You and thank You for revealing Yourself to me in Jesus' Name. Amen.

***

Become a Doer of the Word

14 hours ago                          

by Rick Warren

                                    

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24 NIV)

Receiving, reading, researching, remembering, and reflecting on the Word of God are all useless if we fail to put them into practice. We must become doers of the word (James 1:22).
I understand this is a hard step, because Satan fights it so intensely. He doesn’t mind you going to Bible studies as long as you don’t do anything with what you learn. We fool ourselves when we assume that just because we have heard or read or studied a truth, we have internalized it.
Actually, you can be so busy going to the next class or seminar or Bible conference that you have no time to implement what you’ve learned. You forget it on the way to your next study. Without implementation, all our Bible studies are worthless. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NIV).
Jesus also pointed out that God’s blessing comes from obeying the truth, not just knowing it. He said, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).
I cannot overstate the value of being a part of a small Bible study discussion group. We always learn from others truths we would never learn on our own. Other people will help you see insights you would miss and help you apply God’s truth in a practical way.
The best way to become a doer of the Word is to always write out an action step as a result of your reading or studying or reflecting on God’s Word. Develop the habit of writing down exactly what you intend to do.
This action step should be personal (involving you), practical (something you can do), and provable (with a deadline to do it). Every application will involve either your relationship to God, your relationship to others, or your personal character.
Talk It Over

• What has God already told you to do in his Word that you haven’t started doing yet?
• How do you want God to bless your life?
• With whom are you sharing what you learn and apply from God’s Word?

 

 

The System of Profound Knowledge

Knowing something is merely knowledge,

Exercising that knowledge is simply wisdom... --Meg

 

(an excerpt from Wikipedia about Quality Management)

The System of Profound Knowledge is the basis for application of Deming's famous 14 Points for Management, described below.

Key principles

Deming offered fourteen key principles to managers for transforming business effectiveness. The points were first presented in his book Out of the Crisis. (p. 23–24)^[24] Although Deming does not use the term in his book, it is credited with launching the Total Quality Management movement.^[25]

1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive, stay in business and to provide jobs.
2. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for massive inspection by building quality into the product in the first place.
4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of a price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move towards a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.
5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.
6. Institute training on the job.
7. Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8 of "Out of the Crisis"). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.
8. Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company. (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis")
9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, in order to foresee problems of production and usage that may be encountered with the product or service.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.
11. a. Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute with leadership.
    b. Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers and numerical goals. Instead substitute with leadership.
12. a. Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.
    b. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objectives (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis").
13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.
14. Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody's job.

"Massive training is required to instill the courage to break with tradition. Every activity and every job is a part of the process."^[26]

June Quote

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

--- Proverbs 31:8

 

Abiding in Him

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agymbruj-2c

Abiding in Him

Today's Scripture:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5, NIV.

Today's Word:

Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, you will bear much fruit.” One translation says, “If you will depend on Me.” The word “depend” indicates continual action. You don’t depend once and then you’re done. It’s not, “Oh, I went to church on Sunday. I spent a couple hours. I did my duty.” No, if you’re going to depend on God, then all through the day your attitude should be, “God, I need You. God, help me to understand this subject in school. God, help me to raise these children.” That’s what it means to depend on God. The more you depend on God, the better things will work out. You will bear much fruit.

We can take the opposite of what Jesus said. If we don’t depend on Him, we’re not going to bear much fruit. We’re not going to be as productive as we could have been. Today, choose to abide in Him. Find strength in Him and let Him empower you for everything you face in this life.

Prayer for Today:

Father, today I choose to abide in You. You are my source, my strength, my power for life. Keep me close to You and show me Your ways in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

Spiritual Food for Spiritual Strength

13 hours ago

by Rick Warren

                                    

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly.” (Colossians 3:16a NIV)

Just like you need physical food for physical strength, you need spiritual food for spiritual strength. The Bible describes itself as spiritual food — the water, milk, bread, and meat of our spiritual lives. It’s everything you need for sustenance.
If you were a construction contractor, you wouldn’t consider sending out a guy who hadn’t eaten anything in two weeks. If you were a commander in the Army, you wouldn’t send a person into battle who hadn’t eaten in a month. Right? We need to feed ourselves to have the strength to accomplish the tasks ahead of us.
You’re not going to have much success in winning the spiritual battles you face if you’re starving yourself to death. That’s why we need to feed ourselves on the Word of God.
Unlike eating physical food, whenever I feed on the Word, I get even hungrier. The more I taste and see how good God is, the more I want.
The Bible says in Colossians 3:16, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly” (NIV). Paul is telling us to let the Bible take up residence in our lives in a rich, profound, and life-giving way.
So how do we feed ourselves on the Word of God and allow that to happen?

• Receive the Word with your ears. Commit yourself to go to church and listen to God’s Word being preached. 
• Read the Word with your eyes. As I said, having a Bible in your house is not going to bless your life. You have to have the Bible in your heart. 
• Research the Word with your hands and mouth. When studying the Word of God, keep a pencil in your hand. Write down what God teaches. Talk about what you’re discovering with other believers in a small-group environment.
• Reflect on the Word with your mind. Think about and chew on God’s Word.
• Remember the Word with your heart. You’ll rarely have a Bible with you when you need it. Commit God’s Word to memory.

Talk It Over

• Are you feeding yourself by following all of the points above, or do you normally just stop after the first? What changes do you need to make in your life so that you are spiritually nourished?
   
• Do you write down what God teaches you? What you are memorizing from Scripture?
   
• What spiritual battle are you fighting today? Have you turned to God’s Word for sustenance?

UK Students and Me

 

They will be treasured and remembered. =)

June Quote

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

--- Proverbs 31:8

 

Strength in Dependency

 

 

Strength in Dependency

Today's Scripture:

But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV.

Today's Word:

We all have areas where we need to come up higher. Perhaps you’ve struggled with a certain area year after year. Instead of getting down on yourself or trying to find solutions on the internet, maybe it’s time to pray and say, “God, I need Your help. I’m asking for Your strength.”

When you humble yourself and admit that you cannot do it on your own, that’s when God can enter the scene. That’s when He can turn it around. A lot of times we think of dependency in a negative light, but dependency on God is not a weakness; it’s a strength. It enables you to tap into His power. When we yield our weakness, that’s when God shows up the strongest. But when we don’t turn to God, really, that’s a sign of pride. We’re saying, “God, I don’t really need You to help me run my life. I’m doing okay. I’ve got it all figured out.” God will step back and let us do it on our own.

Today, what is holding you back? Surrender it to God. Let Him do His perfect work. Find strength in your dependency on Him.

Prayer for Today:

Father, today I surrender all to You. Search my heart and mind. Show me if there is any area where I am trying to lean on my own strength. I choose today to trust and rely on You knowing that Your strength is perfect in my weakness in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

 

God’s Word Is the Only Stable Foundation

14 hours ago

by Rick Warren

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24 NIV)

The foundation of a house tells you how big the house can get. You can’t put a big house on a small or faulty foundation. It’ll collapse every time.
The same is true for our lives. You can’t become what God wants you to be on a faulty foundation. We’re given a lot of different options for what will be the foundation of our lives:

• Popular culture. Some people think they’ll simply do what every other person is doing. If it’s popular, that’s what they do, too. Yet what’s popular today won’t be popular tomorrow. Basing your life on popular culture is like building a house on a constantly moving foundation. It doesn’t work!
   
• Tradition. Other people build their lives on what has always been done or how their parents did it. That does make a little sense. Tradition becomes tradition because it works. But no tradition lasts forever. It eventually wears out, becomes obsolete, and is invalid. In Mark 7:8 Jesus tells the Pharisees never to put tradition before truth. It’s a good reminder for all of us.
   
• Reason. God gave us the ability to reason; we need to use it. But our reason isn’t infallible. Proverbs 16:25 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (NIV). The reason is the smartest among us will falter at times. It’s to be expected. Only God can be trusted all the time.
   
• Emotions. Some build their lives on a feeling. If it feels right, they do it. But feelings lie — they lie all the time. You lie to yourself more than anyone else. If you live by your feelings, you’ll spend your life manipulated by your moods.

If it doesn’t work to build your life on popular culture, tradition, reason, or emotion, what should we build our lives upon? God’s Word.
Jesus says this in Matthew 7:24: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
If you build your life on the rock of God’s Word, truth never changes. Popular culture changes, traditions grow stale, reason can be faulty, and emotions lie.
Yet God’s Word never changes.
You may not always understand his Word. You may not always like it. It won’t always be politically correct.
But it’s the only thing stable enough to build our lives upon.
Talk It Over

• On what have you built the foundation of your life? How is it holding up?
• What distractions in your life keep you from fully building your foundation on the Bible?

 

 

June Quote

The sayings of King Lemuel... an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

---Proverbs 31:1

 

A Glimpse of Heaven

 

A Glimpse of Heaven

Today's Scripture:

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Matthew 6:10, NIV.

Today's Word:

God longs to give you a glimpse of heaven while you are here on earth. He wants to show you His wonderful plan and bring it to pass in your life. Have you ever thought about how God’s will is accomplished in heaven? In heaven, God’s will is automatic. There are no opposing forces of darkness or anything that would come against His will. On earth, His will is activated in our lives when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior; and then, we must choose His will on a daily basis in our thoughts, words and actions. On earth, we have to stand against the forces of darkness and refuse those negative, self-defeating thoughts that come against His will.

Today, open your heart to the will of God which is the Word of God. As it says in Ephesians 6, you will be empowered by your union with Him. Declare what God says about you and be empowered to overcome opposition. Stand strong in faith and see God’s will come to pass in your life just as it is in heaven!

Prayer for Today:

Heavenly Father, I humbly come to You today and invite Your will to be done in my life. I submit every area of my heart to You. Let everything I say and do bring glory to You in Jesus Name. Amen.

***

 

Bible Interpretation Requires Faith

13 hours ago

by Rick Warren

 

“No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11b NIV)

Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, that’s just your interpretation of the Bible”? It’s as if that little phrase disproves everything that’s been said. But it really doesn’t disprove anything.
There are right ways and wrong ways to interpret Scripture. There are some methods for interpreting the Bible that’ll always give you the wrong interpretation every time.
Here are six principles of interpretation that are accepted just about everywhere.
1. You need faith and the Holy Spirit to interpret Scripture. The Bible doesn’t make sense to non-believers. It is God’s love letter to believers. When an unbeliever reads the Word, he is reading someone else’s mail. The Bible is a spiritual book that must be understood by spiritual people. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:11, “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (NIV).
2. The Bible is its own best commentary. Scripture interprets Scripture. Practice this principle by getting a Bible with cross-references in the margin. By looking up cross references, you’ll get a much bigger and clearer picture of what God has said in all of his Word, not just that one context.
3. Read the Old Testament with the New Testament in mind, and read the New Testament with the Old Testament in mind. The New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.
4. Always interpret unclear passages in the light of clear passages. Look at the full counsel of God in Scripture to get a clear understanding when you find a passage that seems contradictory or confusing. For example, 1 Corinthians 15:29 has a very obscure reference to baptism for the dead. It's the only time the idea is mentioned in Scripture. Paul isn’t condoning this. Nothing in Scripture condones it. Let clear passages about salvation and baptism interpret this unclear one, not vise versa.
5. Don't form a doctrine based solely on an historical event. Take historical passages of the Bible for what they’re meant to be: good lessons. Don’t build your doctrine upon them. For example, in Mark 1:35, the Bible says Jesus got up very early, went into a place of solitude, and prayed. Does that mean you must get up every morning at 4 a.m., leave your house, and go somewhere and pray? Of course not! God may convince you that’s a good idea, but it’s not a command. Use doctrinal passages to base doctrine on. Use narratives to teach lessons.
6. Never interpret Scripture based on your own experiences. The point of Bible study is not to shape Scripture to agree with your subjective opinions or your experiences. Feelings lie. Emotions lie. Instead, discover God's timeless truth and let it shape your life. Study the Bible with an open heart and invite God to conform you to his will.
God doesn’t want to leave you in the dark when you study Scripture. Following these basic rules of Bible study can help to ensure you read the Word from God’s perspective.
Talk It Over

• What do you think this statement means: “The New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament”?
   
• Are you open to letting the Holy Spirit work in your life? Do you have an open mind when interpreting Scripture so that the Holy Spirit can direct your thoughts?

 

 

The Best of Chicago

June Quote

...defend the rights of the poor and needy.

--- Proverbs 31:9

 

Power in His Word

Power in His Word

Today's Scripture:

Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You

Psalm 119:11, AMP.

Today's Word:

Did you know that the Word of God has the power to protect you and keep you from doing the things you know you shouldn’t do? Hebrews tells us that the Word of God is living and active; it’s powerful in our lives. God communicates to us through His written Word, the Bible, and He communicates with us through His spoken Word which can come in many ways. In scripture, God spoke to people through a burning bush, a still small voice, and even a donkey. Today, He may speak to your heart through a friend, a worship song, or something in creation. One thing is for sure, when He does speak, your spirit knows it. There is confirmation in your inner man. God always speaks truth, and truth always sets you free!

God’s Word also protects you. When you hold His Word close to your heart, it acts like a shield around your heart. You hold His Word close to you by meditating on it, focusing on it, thinking about it and declaring it. As you allow His truth to sink into your spirit, it will empower you and change you. It will equip you to live the good life He has prepared for you!

Prayer for Today:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word which strengthens and protects me. Thank You for speaking truth to my heart. Help me to hear Your voice more clearly that I may live a life pleasing to You in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

***

 

Build an Application Bridge

13 hours ago

by Rick Warren

                                   

"Does the LORD really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him.” (1 Samuel 15:22b CEV)

If you aren’t experienced in applying God’s Word to your life, you might be frustrated. How do you do it? Today I want to give you three questions you can ask of any passage that will help you apply the Bible to your life. Here are the three questions:

1. What did this Scripture mean when it was written?
2. What is the timeless truth behind what God is saying?
3. How does it apply now to me?

We call this the application bridge. We’re building a bridge between the world of the Bible and our world. Let’s try to build this bridge when applying what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 8 about eating the food sacrificed to idols. Read 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, and then ask yourself the questions above.
1. What did this Scripture mean when it was written? There were people in the church of Corinth who knew that idols meant nothing and the food offered to them had no magic power. It was just hamburger or a good steak. There was no harm in eating it because the idols to which they were sacrificed weren't real. So this group would eat freely but with no regard to what other people might think. Yet there were also new believers who were offended by that practice. They didn’t think that believers should eat food sacrificed to gods of other religions. Paul tells the mature believers not to allow their freedom in Christ to offend their brothers.
2. What is the timeless truth behind what God is saying? Don't use your freedom in Christ to offend others. Freedom must be used in love.
3. How does it apply to me now? It's not very common to come into contact with food being offered to idols where I live in Southern California. I’m guessing it doesn’t happen in your area, either. So does that mean it’s irrelevant for us? Of course not! If the timeless truth is: “Don’t use your freedom to offend others. Freedom must be used in love,” I need to be sensitive to people around me, because that’s how you demonstrate love. Ask yourself, “Lord, is there anything I'm doing out of selfishness, arrogance, or deliberate insensitivity to other people that could be causing a fellow brother or sister to stumble? Am I being puffed up by my own knowledge of freedom, or am I building up others in love?”
There are many parts of the Bible that will seem irrelevant to your life today until you build an application bridge.
Talk It Over

• Think of a Bible story with which you have been familiar for a while. When you re-read the passage and use the three questions above, what new truths or applications do you discover about the story?
   
• Do you believe that God intended for you to use the Bible as a guide for life? Do you believe that its truths are timeless, that the messages and applications are still relevant today?