tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41849670671491027782024-03-27T19:53:40.030-04:00Early Mornings with DebbieDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.comBlogger35490125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-29557698148689671572024-02-20T05:54:00.001-05:002024-02-20T05:54:19.373-05:00While I am Away...<p>Please continue to read the devotionals while I am away... you can search by author, even by date to get readings for each day. These devotionals are timeless and there are many years worth of readings. I will try to start blogging again at a later date. God Bless!</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-79097785899399416692024-02-19T05:28:00.001-05:002024-02-19T05:28:13.350-05:00Verse of the Day / February 19<p> </p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Quiet Time...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." </span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">John 1:29 KJV </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">*****</span></p></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-79865554393389841472024-02-19T05:27:00.002-05:002024-02-19T05:27:20.627-05:00 Bible in One Year: February 19<p> <span style="background-color: #fefdfa; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">Bible in One Year:</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><a data-linkto="other" href="https://click.messages.odb.org/?qs=bbcdf9d28a3242d79337fe1d07a3fa0869a160cb16432d71a0fcc4c85c4fdc305d7de5db59c6a5f2b2051a80ab5bb2bb78e8c53c414d339b4919655413c974f9" name="bgateway_link_86" style="color: #274b8d; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="" xt="spclick">Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45</a></span></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-55767207989763816802024-02-18T04:41:00.003-05:002024-02-18T04:41:49.466-05:00Verse of the Day / February 18<p><br /></p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Quiet Time...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div></span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1 Peter 3:18 KJV</span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">*****</span></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-48024657008806812302024-02-18T04:40:00.004-05:002024-02-18T04:40:51.419-05:00Bible in a Year: February 18<p> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">Bible in a Year: </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+25%3b+Mark+1%3a23-45" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #937a5b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45">Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45</a></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-4897523206505274262024-02-18T04:30:00.005-05:002024-02-18T04:31:06.872-05:00In God’s Loving Hands / ODB<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="stylingblock-content-wrapper" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="stylingblock-content-wrapper camarker-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 40px; text-align: center;" valign="middle"><h1 style="color: #4c99e1; font-size: 1.9em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 8px;">In God’s Loving Hands</h1><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px;"><em></em></p><p style="margin: 0px !important;"><em>Before the mountains were born . . . from everlasting to everlasting you are God. <a class="scripture-link" data-action="verse" data-category="scripture-link" data-label="Key Verse" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+90:2" rel="nofollow" style="color: #274b8d; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="scripture reference verse">Psalm 90:2</a></em></p><em></em><p style="margin: 0px !important;"></p><p style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 30px; padding-top: 0px;"></p><p style="background-color: #4c99e1; border-bottom-left-radius: 28px; border-bottom-right-radius: 28px; border-top-left-radius: 28px; border-top-right-radius: 28px; color: white; font-family: "PT Sans", Arial; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 2px; margin: 0px auto !important; max-width: 350px; padding: 8px 10px;"><a href="https://click.messages.odb.org/?qs=d95607683ccbbda7ea3f42b9021e9ec4e933f2801dc84087447376964f32b07816ea358cf8d39f3b81e1e3926f70efba975da439cfd85a1ee6303d5240ccbcdf" name="scripturelink" rel="nofollow" style="color: white; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="scripture reference verse" xt="SPCLICK">READ <span style="white-space: nowrap;">Psalm 90:1–6</span></a></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="middle"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-bottom: 20px;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;" valign="middle"><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;"></p><p style="margin: 0px !important;">After another health setback, I feared the unknown and uncontrollable. One day, while reading a <em>Forbes</em> magazine article, I learned that scientists studied the rising of the “Earth’s rotation velocity” and declared that the Earth “wobbled” and is “spinning faster.” They said we “could require the first-ever ‘drop second’—the official removal of a second from global time.” Though a second doesn’t seem like much of a loss, knowing that the Earth’s rotation could change seemed like a big deal to me. Even slight instability can make my faith feel wobbly. However, knowing God is in control helps me to trust Him no matter how scary our unknowns or how shaky our circumstances may seem.</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;">In Psalm 90, Moses said, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (v. 2). Acknowledging God’s unlimited power, control, and authority over all creation, Moses declared that time cannot constrain God (vv. 3–6).</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;">As we seek to know more about God and the wonderful world He made, we’ll discover how He continues perfectly managing time and all He created. God can be trusted with every unknown and newly discovered thing in our lives too. All creation remains secure in God’s loving hands.</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;"></p><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #1e355f; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;">By <span style="font-weight: 700;">Xochitl Dixon</span></p></td></tr><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" class="reflectandpray" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="middle"><div class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 6px 0px 12px; padding-bottom: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px !important;">How does knowing God is in control of time and all creation help you trust Him when facing the unknown? How can you honor God with the time He’s entrusted to you today?</p></div><div class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #333333; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 6px 0px 12px; padding-bottom: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px !important;">Unchanging Creator, thank You for securing every second of my life in Your trustworthy hands.</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="stylingblock-content-wrapper" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="stylingblock-content-wrapper camarker-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding-top: 30px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #ebf0f5; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 15px 15px;" valign="middle"><h2 class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #1e365f; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">SCRIPTURE INSIGHT</h2><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;"></p><p style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 0px !important;">The book of Psalms is the hymnbook and prayer book of Jews and believers in Jesus. The Hebrew title is <em>Tehillim,</em> which means “praise songs.” The 150 songs were composed and compiled by numerous authors over a period of nearly one thousand years. Authors include Moses, David, Asaph, the sons of Korah, Heman, Solomon, and Ethan. But 48 psalms are by unnamed authors.</p><p style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 0px !important;">The superscription of Psalm 90 says it’s <em>“A prayer of Moses the man of God.”</em> This esteemed title is also used of Moses in Deuteronomy 33:1 and Joshua 14:6. Psalm 90 is the only psalm attributed to Moses, which makes it the oldest of the 150 psalms. Scholars believe that Moses had the forty years of wilderness wandering as the backdrop for this psalm. Contrasting the eternality of God (vv. 1-2) with the transience of human life (vv. 3-12), Moses reminds us of the mercy and compassion of God for sinful human beings (vv. 13-17).</p>K. T. Sim</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-49282271181731309682024-02-18T04:29:00.002-05:002024-02-18T04:30:09.718-05:00Confess Your Sins to God / Spurgeon<p> </p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Rows" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr></tr><tr><td align="center" class="Row Intro Row-2" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Columns" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 600px;"><tbody><tr><th align="center" class="Column Intro Column-1" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Content" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="Center" class="Cell Body Dark Font-Slab" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 1.6em; padding: 10px;"><h3 style="font-size: 28px; margin: 0px;">Confess Your Sins to God</h3></td></tr></tbody></table></th></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="Row Bible Row-3" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Columns" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 600px;"><tbody><tr><th align="center" class="Column Column Column-1" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Content" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="Center" class="Cell Body Dark Font-Slab" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 1.6em; padding: 10px;"><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Father, I have sinned.</p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="CTA" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); color: white; padding: 8px; width: 250px;" width="250"><a data-hs-link-id="0" href="https://info.truthforlife.org/e3t/Ctc/2F+113/c25KH04/VWbZmx16p0vtW7yywXn1dR709W6YVQGc59G2SQN3Bm-863qgyTW7Y8-PT6lZ3nkW63rs576LXlrSW4Pzj9d8CMkLzW31BkbD2rV-ltW8T4cmc8t_FMnW4j995X73HGtTW5LQRb1248nLCW1Pj_FT3ztlz2W9dpcZG24hjRhW2L8sB-4T4r8nW7ZlGSC6PqxyWW8hvpZS1bv_nFW6-jRL_47D_L7W4Yq2TN4t4NclVQB-Mb7PRjkSW4pRkHb1-Vr29W6N2nm35LwLnjW7dkpp_1D6QNjW2WbfMt5c8QXkW3MDSKG2rzp6zW23N9mJ73WGgRV7pXLK7HnHpCW2QnmR07zGgGXW8HlQwx514jSjW5tVZ3L4KfDbkN1tN7S8fz7C3W4GrXhX6pCMj1f86kJpK04" style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 2em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Luke 15:18</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></th></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="Row Devo Row-4" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Columns" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 600px;"><tbody><tr><th align="center" class="Column Intro Column-1" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Content" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="Cell Body Dark Font-Slab" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 1.6em; padding: 10px;"><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1em;">It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in His precious blood need not make a confession of sin as culprits or criminals before God the Judge, because Christ has forever taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they no longer stand where they can be condemned, but are once and for all accepted in the Beloved.</p><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1em;">But having become children, and offending as children, should they not every day go before their heavenly Father and confess their sin and acknowledge their iniquity in that character? Nature teaches that it is the duty of erring children to make a confession to their earthly father, and the grace of God in the heart teaches us that we, as Christians, owe the same duty to our heavenly Father. We daily offend and ought not to rest without daily pardon. Suppose that my trespasses against my Father are not at once taken to Him to be washed away by the cleansing power of the Lord Jesus—what will be the consequence? If I have not sought forgiveness and been washed from these offenses against my Father, I shall feel at a distance from Him; I shall doubt His love for me; I shall tremble before Him; I shall be afraid to pray to Him: I shall grow like the prodigal who, although still a child, was yet far away from his father. But if with a child’s sorrow at offending so gracious and loving a Parent, I go to Him and tell Him everything, and do not rest until I realize that I am forgiven, then I shall feel a holy love to my Father and shall go through my Christian career not only as saved, but as one enjoying present peace in God through Jesus Christ my Lord.</p><p style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1em;">There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a culprit and confessing sin as a child. The Father’s bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></th></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="Row Footnotes Row-5" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Columns" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 600px;"><tbody><tr><th align="center" class="Column Column Column-1" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Content" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody></tbody></table></th></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-10664346093334986692024-02-18T04:27:00.004-05:002024-02-18T04:29:15.922-05:00Purchased for God / Alistair Begg<p> </p><table cellspacing="0" class="Content Area-Title" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="Center" class="Cell Body Dark Font-Slab" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><h3 style="font-size: 28px;">Purchased for God</h3></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellspacing="0" class="Content Area-Bible" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: 25px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="Center" class="Cell Body Dark Font-Slab" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">By your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="Center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;"><table cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-style: none; border-width: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="CTA" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); color: white; padding: 5px; width: 250px;" width="250"><a data-hs-link-id="0" href="https://info.truthforlife.org/e3t/Ctc/2F+113/c25KH04/MWc9qWnJzr0W6-9Kry8LfT9dW3V7XmG59G2NlN5q1hkH3qgyTW8wLKSR6lZ3kWW4CZ1xn41CvYPW1SGjTL8K_MfsN2Zzqwc356kPW1xYLjL3NXdcPW1Yy0-N6PYysCVfw-Pg2gW2wFW97fPyt1WDJK-W6VmN4S20K-mnW5Gmv4Z83vYG-W9hYYvK8jjS8vF4kkhp122MGW3FqhWV60_QGxW23WyxZ6fznmyW1bzXDY5PBG3GW6_3md-7mCMQBW8Q0ZpR89hC0DW154NKT1f3Z6GVwH46Z2WlhpvW5DPXjr1hDjLYW5Cy9FK1MKF3rN57wjCTqw-rKN6hVJFDV6GtqVCR0C_8-Cqx4W4xsgXS2QlnsrW4qXSTW68j1kFW1FMB6h69qQJKW44rp0K5v4RPmW1w8xRP7r06Hrf1yHrGl04" rel="noopener" style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 2em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Revelation 5:9–10</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellspacing="0" class="Content Area-Devo" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 50px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="Cell Body Dark Font-Slab" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">I was at Bible college with a Welsh missionary candidate named Mary Fisher. She was studying the Shona language so that she might teach young boys and girls in Zimbabwe. Within a relatively short time after her arrival there, there was a terrorist raid on the school at which she Was teaching. Along with many other teachers and children, Mary did not survive; her life was snuffed out in that attack.<a class="ab_footnote" data-hs-link-id="0" name="d49-1" target="_blank">[1]</a> Yet while her death was tragic, her life had testified to the all-surpassing joy of serving God, not only here but also in eternity.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">In the song of the elders gathered around the Lamb in Revelation, we are reminded that the purpose of Christ’s death was so we might be ransomed by God. We have been set free from the sin that held us in its grip in order that, having been purchased by His blood, we will live for Him. Our praise is for God. Our service, like that of Mary Fisher, is for God.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">As believers in the first century looked around and saw some of their friends taken into captivity for their faith, they tried to make sense of Christ’s triumph over death, the victory of His ascension, and the reality of His return. In light of the tribulation they faced, these Christians were able to find encouragement in the reminder that even as Jesus made atonement for our sins, His focus was always on the Father. He purchased us <em>for God</em>.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">How else do we make sense of the tragedies told in missionary biographies or explain the apparent rampant chaos represented in the death of martyrs? The last recording of Mary Fisher offers clarity. As a singer and guitar player, she was teaching the children in her class lyrics of a song based on Paul’s words to the Philippian church: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (<a data-hs-link-id="0" href="https://info.truthforlife.org/e3t/Ctc/2F+113/c25KH04/MWc9qWnJzr0W6-9Kry8LfT9dW3V7XmG59G2NlN5q1hkH3qgyTW8wLKSR6lZ3nLW2tN7Ld4mlK_gW2z4H5W1L_6F6W8kjpMG3R5Dd-W4lYZkC5JDgYlW8w3vWW36Yj0gW6B9YRp3LC_rNW1QYN6C8f6gzMW7cLQlY6qvtZgW46yDGY1mcJZqW63Pn8K2jR_6yV96XTp8JbGTbW2FF-n61Y0hyBW2BV5Ft1mmYySW2qVKKh3vHqXfW9k0lVh7rCpnDW2kP4rP6HM3vkW4qgCCh5wYqvzW2RFc707Xt2x1W4vnmT_1x29XKW36Dx291jcc-wW1y6SXn7zqSPwW1kSshh6mBBHXN5z32MlbZVt2W1pkCK-61lMF5W3t7T1R3nxZ9cW8CTthX4fsrs-W8cJHm23FZHVLW4R3Ywz1F1kd2f7t4NLY04" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Philippians 1:21</a>).<a class="ab_footnote" data-hs-link-id="1" name="d49-2" target="_blank">[2]</a> Walking His path and holding His hand, the song states, is the way of peace and joy.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">That song is nothing but empty rhetoric unless <a data-hs-link-id="0" href="https://info.truthforlife.org/e3t/Ctc/2F+113/c25KH04/MWc9qWnJzr0W6-9Kry8LfT9dW3V7XmG59G2NlN5q1hkH3qgyTW8wLKSR6lZ3nKW5P6DlT2f8Z5RW3Lqkmq801TgwW3ph0xS1P_wHyW33jzlN27kJD1W89T1QT2skn00W1vN6tl8-c3ZNW8Q23H53bWdjPW8-4pZB22XND5W2dPlhN1CvV0zW5Sck325r1sXqW5S7WQ04WgWb_W33Zsb24dkHGQW7Kc-zW2N1lh6N2BhJLDJGPtqW2qjjlm1KRFnCW6B-S3_3zLH5GW39zvY77ffpLnW1jcwBV1-YLjdW3p_vfX6fv3DTW7BR5gy7714nWW7JJKVR4q_qC8W4Zkxk087QwLsW31D3Bc7y3pjCW5ynr_c6wHlbcV-GmxN7lG8thW4S7V114w7Y1sN5VXC7xV0-dpW43vcrR4fc6lgf1GQndj04" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Revelation 5</a> is absolutely true when it tells us that Jesus went to the cross in order to purchase us for God. And Revelation 5 <em>is</em> absolutely true; and so, even if all of our breath were to be squeezed out in His service, even if all of our life were to be trampled over for His name’s sake, still it would be time and energy and life well spent. You have been ransomed by God so that you might praise Him today and enjoy Him for all eternity. Whatever your day holds, be sure to walk through it with that as your greatest passion and highest purpose.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="left" class="Cell Body Dark Font-Slab" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><ol><li><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/25/archives/12-white-teachers-and-children-killed-by-guerrillas-in-rhodesia.html. Accessed February 19, 2021.</p></li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">J. White, “For Me to Live Is Christ” (1969).</p></li></ol></td></tr></tbody></table>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-18732838371070888042024-02-17T05:14:00.003-05:002024-02-17T05:14:42.223-05:00Verse of the Day / February 17<p> </p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Quiet Time...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div></span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">John 3:16 KJV</span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">*****</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-20644177075947776612024-02-17T05:13:00.003-05:002024-02-17T05:13:55.103-05:00Bible in a Year: February 17<p> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">Bible in a Year: </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+21-22%3b+Matthew+28" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #937a5b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Leviticus 21-22; Matthew 28">Leviticus 21-22; Matthew 28</a></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-43924482526889491462024-02-17T05:10:00.001-05:002024-02-17T05:10:31.368-05:00Do You Love or Lecture? / Adrian Rogers<p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Do You Love or Lecture?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></strong><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/romans/5-8.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Romans 5:8</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sermon:</strong> 1499 Your Child: Wise or Otherwise, Part 2</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Pray Over This</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/romans/5-8.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Romans 5:8</a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Ponder This</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Many of you would say, “Pastor, my heart is breaking because my son, my daughter, may not be a fool, but my son, my daughter, is a smart aleck. What do you do with a child like that?” Well, first of all, remember that scolding and lecturing a scorner does very little good. If you think you can sit down your know-it-all child and preach to him, you’ve got another thought coming. You’re not going to be able to drill it into his head. Scolding is going to do little good. As a matter of fact, it’ll probably increase his ability to sin. You need to talk less and pray more. And love that scorner more, then wait for the open door. Not the rebuke, but the open door.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">When you’ve got a rebellious teenager, you surround that child with your love. Let her know where you stand on these issues, but don’t constantly be against her. Do not constantly be rebuking her, but be loving, praying, and waiting. Asking, “Oh, God, help me to speak a word in due season.” And as you pray, God will work according to His will and ways.</p><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">When have you been tempted to lecture instead of love?</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">When has an act of love by another impacted you?</li></ul><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Practice This</p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px;">Pray for someone you know to grow in love for the Lord.</span> </p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-24157419943442392792024-02-17T05:09:00.000-05:002024-02-17T05:09:13.808-05:00Growing Up in Jesus / ODB<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="stylingblock-content-wrapper" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="stylingblock-content-wrapper camarker-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 40px; text-align: center;" valign="middle"><h1 style="color: #4c99e1; font-size: 1.9em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 8px;">Growing Up in Jesus</h1><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px;"><em></em></p><p style="margin: 0px !important;"><em>My power is made perfect in weakness. <a class="scripture-link" data-action="verse" data-category="scripture-link" data-label="Key Verse" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+12:9" rel="nofollow" style="color: #274b8d; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="scripture reference verse">2 Corinthians 12:9</a></em></p><em></em><p style="margin: 0px !important;"></p><p style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 30px; padding-top: 0px;"></p><p style="background-color: #4c99e1; border-bottom-left-radius: 28px; border-bottom-right-radius: 28px; border-top-left-radius: 28px; border-top-right-radius: 28px; color: white; font-family: "PT Sans", Arial; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 2px; margin: 0px auto !important; max-width: 350px; padding: 8px 10px;"><a href="https://click.messages.odb.org/?qs=0e91899acbc2ef1540a596c80cabe79dad1d20fe2aaeac7905efca0f7ddea6163a402a6794a8f9375e71fe83acadb6165656e224cf706bc72aea80edbee36f1b" name="scripturelink" rel="nofollow" style="color: white; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="scripture reference verse" xt="SPCLICK">READ <span style="white-space: nowrap;">2 Corinthians 12:6–10</span></a></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="middle"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-bottom: 20px;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;" valign="middle"><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;"></p><p style="margin: 0px !important;">As a child, I viewed grown-ups as wise and incapable of failure. <em>They always know what to do</em>, I’d think<em>. One day, when I’m grown up, I’ll always know what to do too</em>. Well, “one day” came many years ago, and all it has taught me is that, many times, I still don’t know what to do. Whether it’s illness in the family, problems at work, or conflict in a relationship, such times have wrested all delusions of personal control and strength, simply leaving me one option—to close my eyes and whisper, “Lord, help. I don’t know what to do.”</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;">The apostle Paul understood this feeling of helplessness. The “thorn” in his life, which may have been a physical ailment, caused him much frustration and pain. It was through this thorn, however, that Paul experienced God’s love, promises, and blessings as sufficient for him to endure and overcome his difficulties (2 Corinthians 12:9). He learned that personal weakness and helplessness don’t mean defeat. When surrendered to God in trust, they become tools for Him to work in and through these circumstances (vv. 9−10).</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;">Our being a grown-up doesn’t mean we’re all-knowing. Sure, we grow wiser with age, but ultimately our weaknesses often reveal how truly powerless we are. Our true power is in Christ: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10). Truly “growing up” means knowing, trusting, and obeying the power that comes when we realize we need God’s help.</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;"></p><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #1e355f; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;">By <span style="font-weight: 700;">Karen Huang</span></p></td></tr><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" class="reflectandpray" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="middle"><div class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 6px 0px 12px; padding-bottom: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px !important;">What trials make you realize your own helplessness? How can you obey God’s leading? </p></div><div class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #333333; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 6px 0px 12px; padding-bottom: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px !important;">Heavenly Father, thank You for being my help and strength.</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="stylingblock-content-wrapper" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="stylingblock-content-wrapper camarker-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding-top: 30px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #ebf0f5; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 15px 15px;" valign="middle"><h2 class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #1e365f; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">SCRIPTURE INSIGHT</h2><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;"></p><p style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 0px !important;">In 2 Corinthians 10-13, Paul defends his spiritual authority against accusations by false teachers (10:10; 11:12-14; 13:1-10). Describing himself as being forced by these critics to “boast in the Lord” (10:17), Paul details many ways in which God has confirmed the authenticity of his ministry. His goal was to convince Corinthian believers in Jesus of this so “that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up” (13:10).</p><p style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 0px !important;">Perhaps because false teachers were trying to base their authority on claims of divine visions, Paul reveals that he experienced a vision from God (12:1-4). But he emphasized he wasn’t permitted to share the details (v. 4). Instead, the unidentified “thorn in [his] flesh” (v. 7) was God’s way of teaching him that Christ’s power is experienced not through arrogance but through suffering and weakness (vv. 9-10).</p>Monica La Rose</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-10062390878566554622024-02-17T05:06:00.002-05:002024-02-17T05:07:10.162-05:00The Brilliance of God’s Grace / Greg Laurie<p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Brilliance of God’s Grace</strong></p><blockquote style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 10px 25px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. (<a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/ephesians/2-1.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ephesians 2:1</a> NLT)</p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">I am amazed by anyone who actually believes that people are basically good. I have to say that in many ways, they have more <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">faith</a> than I do to believe that.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">As I see the depravity that humanity is capable of, I become more convinced of the fact that people are not basically good. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. And that is clearly what the Scriptures teach.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;"><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/ephesians/passage/?q=ephesians+2:1-2" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ephesians 2:1-2</a> says, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (NLT).</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">In these verses, the apostle Paul paints a very dark background so that we might better appreciate the brilliance of God’s grace. Just as jewelers display beautiful gems on dark velvet so we can appreciate their splendor, so God, against a very dark background, shows us how bad we once were. But He also shows us what He can make us into.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">It is this balanced understanding of humanity that gives the Christian the only logical and satisfactory answer as to why the world is the way it is.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Make no mistake about it: We are sinners to the core. We don’t have to teach our children how to sin. It comes quite naturally to them, just as it came naturally to us. We aren’t sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. It is in our nature.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Maybe you’ve heard the story of the scorpion and the turtle. The scorpion was thinking about how to cross a river when he saw a turtle sunning himself on the riverbank. So, he went over to the turtle and said, “My dear sir, I was wondering if you might give me a lift across this river here.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">“If I were to do that,” the turtle replied, “I think that you might sting me.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;"> “What would be the logic in doing such a thing?” the scorpion asked.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">“Well, you have a point there,” said the turtle. “Climb on.” So, the scorpion climbed on the turtle’s back, and they started making their way across the river. But suddenly the scorpion lifted his tail and stuck it into the turtle, giving him everything that he had.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">The turtle, knowing that they were both about to die, said, “I have just one question: Why did you sting me? Where is the logic in that?”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">“There is no logic in it, dear turtle,” the scorpion said. “It is just my nature.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">We sin because it’s our nature. We do what we do because we are wired to do it. It’s the way we are built. It is not that we are products of our environment, although that can affect us to some degree. We can be in a perfect environment or a horrible environment and still sin.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">It is just our nature. Yet God shows us what we can become by His grace.</p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><p> </p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-33054123768945518582024-02-17T05:05:00.003-05:002024-02-17T05:05:44.745-05:00The Greatest: Virtue / David Jeremiah<p> </p><h1 id="edevo_title" style="color: #454545; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 40px; letter-spacing: -0.02em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 4px;">The Greatest: Virtue</h1><p class="run-date" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.02em; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.<br />1 Corinthians 13:13</p><div class="recommended-reading" style="background-color: #ebebeb; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 10px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><p style="line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 26.890625px;"><span class="fa fa-book" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;"></span> <strong>Recommended Reading:</strong> <a class="tp-scripture nowrap" href="https://www.davidjeremiah.org/magazine/daily-devotional?date=2024-02-17&utm_source=mailchimp-us&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20240217-wknd-newsletter&tid=email_edevo-wknd-021724&mc_cid=825553a63e&mc_eid=09b9f64673#" style="color: #330066; white-space: nowrap;">1 Corinthians 13</a></p><div class="scripture_wrapper" style="height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 25px; position: relative; text-align: left; transition: all 0.25s ease;"></div></div><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">Every religious and philosophical tradition—both ancient and modern—has a set of virtues it promotes. The list might be formal or informal, but the qualities of life enumerated represent the best of what the tradition promotes to its followers.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">The closest Christianity comes to a list of virtues is Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Christian virtues are distinguished from other lists of virtues by their source: the Holy Spirit as opposed to the human ideas and efforts of man. A shorter list of virtues is found in 1 Corinthians 13:13: faith, hope, and love. Paul makes the point that the greatest of these virtues is love, which he also named first in the list of the fruit of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Paul explains that no noble or spiritual act—spiritual power, great faith, sacrificial generosity—is worthwhile if love is missing. That is consistent with 1 John 4:8, 16: “God is love.” </p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">Since love is the greatest virtue, ask God to fill you with His love in all that you do today. </p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;"><em>Every virtue known to man is found in Jesus.</em><br /><strong>Michael Green</strong></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-67672531146368801212024-02-16T04:44:00.001-05:002024-02-16T04:44:07.592-05:00Verse of the Day / February 16<p><br /></p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Quiet Time...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div></span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Galatians 2:20 KJV</span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">*****</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-36053544130528230462024-02-16T04:42:00.002-05:002024-02-16T04:42:53.038-05:00Bible in One Year: February 16<p> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">Bible in One Year:</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><a data-linkto="other" href="https://click.messages.odb.org/?qs=37bec7d05e75d4f54f87caedfff8b89a24f403827e53fe455121770195e808ccfe99245da4ec048db53f78d5a722e66ab4d8a8d849eb0e3615ebb74d8bfbb2bb" name="bgateway_link_86" style="color: #274b8d; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;" title="" xt="spclick">Leviticus 19-20; Matthew 27:51-66</a></span></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-698632784513298342024-02-16T04:41:00.002-05:002024-02-16T04:41:54.678-05:00The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative / Oswald Chambers<p> </p><table align="center" bgcolor="ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 30px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 580px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 580px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 5px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto; width: 580px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #3a3635;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;" valign="middle"><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #3d3d3c; font-size: 1.6em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;">The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative</p><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #646b71; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 28px;"><em>Arise from the dead… </em><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: nowrap;"><a data-linkto="other" href="https://click.messages.odb.org/?qs=afa2949a37b70c2c9f28f25bfe2597062daba9f81a17abcf0627dcbcc2fb5161fa9cdb449a3c7e5ccc5fad71d0dd10ea3117c35c89d5898a5d9fb879a7e51a75" name="bgateway_link_85" style="color: #274b8d; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20.899999618530273px;" title="" xt="spclick">EPHESIANS 5:14</a></span></p><div class="utmostcontent" style="color: #3a3635; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 25px;"><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="line-height: 2em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 25px;"></p><p style="line-height: 2em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 25px;">Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, “Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard— just do what needs to be done!” That is what we mean by ordinary human initiative. But when the Spirit of God comes to us and says, in effect, “Get up and get going,” suddenly we find that the initiative is inspired.</p><p style="line-height: 2em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 25px;">We all have many dreams and aspirations when we are young, but sooner or later we realize we have no power to accomplish them. We cannot do the things we long to do, so our tendency is to think of our dreams and aspirations as dead. But God comes and says to us, “Arise from the dead.” When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with such miraculous power that we are able to “arise from the dead” and do the impossible. The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we “get up and get going.” God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life <em>as we</em> <em>overcome</em>. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, “Arise from the dead,” we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+12:13" style="color: rgb(39, 75, 141) !important;">Matthew 12:13</a>). As soon as the man did so, his hand was healed. But he had to take the initiative. If we will take the initiative to overcome, we will find that we have the inspiration of God, because He immediately gives us the power of life.</p><p style="line-height: 2em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 25px;"></p></div><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #646b71; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 25px;">Bible in One Year: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a data-linkto="other" href="https://click.messages.odb.org/?qs=37bec7d05e75d4f54f87caedfff8b89a24f403827e53fe455121770195e808ccfe99245da4ec048db53f78d5a722e66ab4d8a8d849eb0e3615ebb74d8bfbb2bb" name="bgateway_link_86" style="color: #274b8d; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;" title="" xt="spclick">Leviticus 19-20; Matthew 27:51-66</a></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" bgcolor="ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color: #f6f9fe; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 30px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 580px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 580px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 30px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #555555;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 25px;" valign="middle"><div style="border-bottom-color: rgb(173, 173, 175); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-top: 15px;"><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="border-top-color: rgb(173, 173, 175); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #69aecc; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 40px 15px; text-align: center;"></p><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #777777; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px !important; padding: 20px 40px; text-align: center;">WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS</p><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #777777; font-family: "Crimson Text", serif; font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align: center;">There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession.</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-67008053062007979622024-02-16T04:39:00.001-05:002024-02-16T04:39:45.185-05:00Who is Holding on to Who? / Adrian Rogers<p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Who is Holding on to Who?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></strong><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/genesis/passage/?q=genesis+6:17-19" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Genesis 6:17-19</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sermon:</strong> 1504 The Captain and His Kids, Part 2</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Pray Over This</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">“And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.”<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/genesis/passage/?q=genesis+6:17-19" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Genesis 6:17-19</a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Ponder This</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Many folks just believe they’re kept saved by just holding on. I hear some people say, “Pray for me, that I’ll hold out faithful to the end.” Suppose God had said to Noah, “Noah, if you want to be saved, you put some pegs on the outside of that ark. When it starts to rain, you get on a step ladder and go up and hold onto those pegs. Your feet will be dangling; the water will be rising; and it’s going to be rough. But Noah, if you can hold onto those pegs until the water goes down, you’ll be saved.” I don’t think Noah would have made it, do you? I can only imagine Noah saying, “Pray for me, that I’ll hold out faithful to the end."</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">That's the kind of <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-is-salvation-also-why-it-s-needed-and-how-to-get-it.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">salvation</a> some people think they have. They think they’re saved by holding onto God. No way! We’re saved because He holds onto us! And He says, “No one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (<a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/john/10-29.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">John 10:29</a>). Noah was shut into that ship. Some believe they’re going to get eternal security one day when they go to Heaven. They believe they’re going to step into Heaven, slam the door behind them, and say, "Whew, I made it. Hallelujah! I’m safe now.” May I tell you that security is not in a place? Security is in a person, and His name is Jesus.</p><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">When have you tried to work hard for your <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; text-decoration: none;">faith</a>? What happened?</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What difference does it make whether we are holding onto God or He is holding onto us?</li></ul><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Practice This</p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px;">Pray that you would find your ultimate security in Jesus alone.</span> </p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-74035843161098655592024-02-16T04:36:00.003-05:002024-02-16T04:36:34.886-05:00Loving Like Jesus / ODB<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="stylingblock-content-wrapper" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="stylingblock-content-wrapper camarker-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 40px; text-align: center;" valign="middle"><h1 style="color: #4c99e1; font-size: 1.9em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 8px;">Loving Like Jesus</h1><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px;"><em></em></p><p style="margin: 0px !important;"><em>Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. <a class="scripture-link" data-action="verse" data-category="scripture-link" data-label="Key Verse" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15:13" rel="nofollow" style="color: #274b8d; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="scripture reference verse">John 15:13</a></em></p><em></em><p style="margin: 0px !important;"></p><p style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 30px; padding-top: 0px;"></p><p style="background-color: #4c99e1; border-bottom-left-radius: 28px; border-bottom-right-radius: 28px; border-top-left-radius: 28px; border-top-right-radius: 28px; color: white; font-family: "PT Sans", Arial; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 2px; margin: 0px auto !important; max-width: 350px; padding: 8px 10px;"><a href="https://click.messages.odb.org/?qs=97aa0e414a074b84460b36fd1f46f581fe3111da34614bc05c339f432d9fb22d4e2497f866ceed9583ab30413278bb3ce9183ae8f958f9f8b2c94a095e5df26a" name="scripturelink" rel="nofollow" style="color: white; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="scripture reference verse" xt="SPCLICK">READ <span style="white-space: nowrap;">John 15:9–17</span></a></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="middle"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-bottom: 20px;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;" valign="middle"><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;"></p><p style="margin: 0px !important;"><em>He was loved by all</em>—those were the words used to describe Giuseppe Berardelli of Casnigo, Italy. Giuseppe was a beloved man who rode around town on an old motorbike and always led with the greeting: “peace and good.” He worked tirelessly on behalf of the good of others. But in the last years of his life, he had health problems that worsened when he was infected by the coronavirus, and he eventually died in the hospital. A friend who knew him for more than twenty years said he would’ve given up his potential spot in the intensive care unit for another younger patient if he could have. This reveals the character of a man who was loved and admired for loving others.</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;"><em>Loved for loving,</em> this is the message the apostle John keeps sounding throughout his gospel. Being loved and loving others are like a chapel bell that tolls night and day, regardless of weather. And in John 15, they reach somewhat of a zenith, for John lays bare that it’s not being loved by all but loving all that’s the greatest love: “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (v. 13).</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;">Stories of those willing to offer sacrificial love always inspire us. Yet they pale in comparison to God’s great love. But don’t miss the challenge that brings, for Jesus commands: “Love each other as I have loved you” (v. 12). Yes, love all.</p><p style="margin: 0px !important;"></p><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #1e355f; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;">By <span style="font-weight: 700;">John Blase</span></p></td></tr><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" class="reflectandpray" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="middle"><div class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 6px 0px 12px; padding-bottom: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px !important;">Loved by all and love all. Do you get those mixed up sometimes? Why or why not? What might sacrificing for a friend look like today?</p></div><div class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #333333; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 6px 0px 12px; padding-bottom: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px !important;">Loving God, please help me to love as You love me.</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="stylingblock-content-wrapper" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="stylingblock-content-wrapper camarker-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-wrapper" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 5px;" width="640"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="full" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove"><td align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0px; padding-top: 30px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #ebf0f5; border-collapse: collapse; color: #8b8686; margin: 0px auto; width: 630px;"><tbody><tr class="ds-remove" style="color: #222222;"><td align="left" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 15px 15px;" valign="middle"><h2 class="tea14-content-editable" style="color: #1e365f; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">SCRIPTURE INSIGHT</h2><p class="tea14-content-editable" style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 15px;"></p><p style="font-family: "PT Serif", serif; margin: 0px !important;">Hours before He went to the cross, Jesus gave us a new commandment: “Love one another. <em>As I have loved you,</em> so you must love one another” (John 13:34). The command to love others isn’t new. In the Mosaic law, God’s people were to “love [their] neighbor as [themselves]” (Leviticus 19:18), which Christ reiterated was the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39). However, Jesus introduced a new standard of love, which He emphasized in John 15:12: “Love each other <em>as I have loved you.</em>” The standard is no longer how much we love ourselves but how much Jesus loved us. Christ laid down His life for us (v. 13). He raised the bar from our self-love to His sacrificial love. John would later write, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).</p>K. T. Sim</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-28581774671088472262024-02-16T04:34:00.004-05:002024-02-16T04:35:25.869-05:00 How to Sleep / David Jeremiah<p> </p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><strong>How to Sleep</strong><br /> <br /><em>I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.</em><br /><strong>Psalm 4:8</strong><br /> <br />Bringing a product to market represents a huge financial investment. Based on the number of sleep aid medicines and supplements on the market, it would appear that a lot of people aren’t getting enough sleep! Those products wouldn’t exist if the world was sleeping soundly at night.</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnBoxedTextBlock" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnBoxedTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnBoxedTextBlockInner" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnBoxedTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 9px 18px;"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="background-color: #ededf1; border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 18px; text-align: center; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><br />Recommended Reading:<br /><a href="https://davidjeremiah.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4e5f1f25612d6001155eec4c8&id=d912860e28&e=09b9f64673" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">Psalm 3:5-6</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">The psalmist David pointed out something we know all too well: There is a difference between going to bed and going to sleep. Everybody goes to bed at night, but not everyone goes to sleep. But David did both: “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep.” Why was he able to sleep in peace? Because he trusted in God: “You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” He wrote those words during a period of unnamed trouble in his life—something everyone can identify with. But instead of being angry, he silenced his heart and went to sleep in peace (Psalm 4:4, 8).<br /> <br />Do you go to bed, or do you both go to bed and go to sleep in peace? Search your heart and commit your concerns to God—and rest in Him.<br /> <br /><em>We sleep in peace in the arms of God when we yield ourselves up to His providence.</em><br /><strong>François Fénelon</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-49184335020779752582024-02-16T04:33:00.003-05:002024-02-16T04:34:00.566-05:00 Your Superpower / Greg Laurie<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px;">Your Superpower</strong></p><blockquote style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 10px 25px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. (<a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/ephesians/passage/?q=ephesians+1:19-20" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ephesians 1:19-20</a> NLT)</p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Years ago, when I was visiting Israel, I plugged in my hair dryer without using a voltage converter. The dryer was about twice as powerful as it normally was, and I really liked that. But then I looked in the mirror and saw flames coming out of the dryer. It literally melted.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Nowadays, we can buy appliances that have dual voltage settings—we can switch them to safely accept either 110 or 220 volts. But back then, without the use of a converter, there was too much power for my hair dryer.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Sometimes, we wonder whether we have enough power to satisfy the demands in our lives. If you’re a Christian, then you have more power than you ever will need. It’s like wondering whether you have enough power to turn on your lights when you have an entire nuclear plant exclusively powering your home.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">In the same way, we can be confident that God will provide all the power that we’ll ever need. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Writing to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul said, “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance” (<a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/ephesians/1-18.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ephesians 1:18</a> NLT).</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Paul went on to say, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (verses 19–20 NLT).</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">He was saying, “I want you to check your balance. I want you to realize how much power is available to you.” The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is certainly adequate to help us deal with the challenges, trials, temptations, and opportunities that we are going to encounter in life. Just as <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/10-things-every-christian-should-know-about-the-cross.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the cross</a> was a display of God’s love, the <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-does-the-bible-say-about-the-resurrection.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">resurrection</a> of Jesus Christ was a display of His power for us.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">All the power necessary is available to us to live the Christian life. What we need to do is simply plug in.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Maybe you’ve thought, “It is so much easier to just go with the flow. I might as well do what everybody else does.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">No, you can go a different direction. It takes a live fish to go upstream. If you’ve ever watched salmon swim upstream, then you know these persistent fish swim with all their effort. Not all of them make it, but some do.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Living the Christian life takes determination and, more importantly, yielding to the power that is available to you. You can make it if you want to. You can be more than a conqueror because of what Jesus Christ has done for you.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">The question is this: Are you going to plug in to God’s power and apply yourself? It takes commitment on a daily basis. And the moment you begin to relax, the moment you stop seeking to move forward spiritually, will be the moment your downward trend will begin.</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-87338099475058167302024-02-16T04:31:00.003-05:002024-02-16T04:32:05.275-05:00 Participating in a Miracle / Ann Graham Lotz<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px;">Participating in a Miracle</strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;">“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/search/?t=niv&q=zec+4:6" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Zechariah 4:6</a>, nkjv</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">God never asks us to give Him what we don’t have. But He does demand that we give Him all we do have if we want to be a part of what He wishes to do in the lives of those around us!</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 12px 0px !important;">Remember the servants at the wedding in Cana? They had the thrill of knowing firsthand that water went into the pitcher, but wine came out! They had the unparalleled experience of participating in a miracle! Could you be in danger of missing the thrilling blessing of participating with God in a miracle because, for whatever reason, you won’t give Him all that you have? The disciples did not know it at the time, but they were on the verge of participating in a miracle because they gave <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/who-is-jesus.html" style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3366b4; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Jesus</a> everything they had found to feed the crowd: five barley loaves and two small fish! As a result, the entire multitude was fed—and blessed!</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-23772798415993752972024-02-16T04:30:00.002-05:002024-02-16T04:30:26.829-05:00A Valentine for My Daughters / Max Lucado<p> </p><h3 class="null" style="caret-color: rgb(26, 52, 77); color: #1a344d; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 32.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://maxlucado.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bed511e434184985961d50fcb&id=82a9d92ef5&e=f2c1f8adbc" style="color: #1a344d;">A Valentine for My Daughters</a></h3><p style="caret-color: rgb(26, 52, 77); color: #1a344d; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">Click below to listen to today's devotional</p><div class="audio-container" style="background-color: #1a344d; color: white; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: 44px; line-height: 40px; margin: 2.5px 0px 20px; padding: 10px 0px; width: 564px;"><a href="https://maxlucado.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bed511e434184985961d50fcb&id=6689154705&e=f2c1f8adbc" style="color: #1a344d;" target="_blank"><img alt="play-btn" class="play-btn" src="https://mcusercontent.com/bed511e434184985961d50fcb/images/4a891523-6852-4b77-b35f-de31cb4272b7.png" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto !important; outline: none; padding-left: 10px; padding-top: 10px; text-decoration: none; width: 20px;" /></a><div style="margin-left: 70.5px;"><p style="color: #1a344d; line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><a class="audio-text" href="https://maxlucado.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bed511e434184985961d50fcb&id=e15325427a&e=f2c1f8adbc" style="color: white !important; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">A VALENTINE FOR MY DAUGHTERS</span></a></p></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(26, 52, 77); color: #1a344d; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">The whirlwind of adolescent doubts and pressure was making regular runs through our house. So on Valentine’s Day 1997, I wrote the following for each of my daughters:</p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><em>I have a special gift for you. My gift is warmth at night and sunlit afternoons, chuckles and giggles and happy Saturdays. Is there a store which sells laughter? A catalog that offers kisses? No. Such a treasure can’t be bought. But it can be given. </em></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><em>Your Valentine’s Day gift is a promise, a promise that I will always love your mother. With God as my helper, I will never leave her. You’ll never come home to find me gone. You’ll never wake up and find that I have run away. You’ll always have two parents. I will love your mother. I will honor your mother. I will cherish your mother. That’s my promise, and that’s my gift.</em></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><em>Love, Dad</em></p><div style="padding: 16px 0px;"></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-22505939504998243462024-02-15T04:59:00.001-05:002024-02-15T04:59:14.139-05:00Verse of the Day / February 15<p> </p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Quiet Time...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div></span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Ephesians 5:1-2 KJV</span></div><div class="votd_reference" style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">*****</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184967067149102778.post-27834733861645295202024-02-15T04:57:00.000-05:002024-02-15T04:57:15.145-05:00Bible in One Year: February 15<p> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">Bible in One Year:</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(100, 107, 113); color: #646b71; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><a data-linkto="other" href="https://click.messages.odb.org/?qs=a92d69ba50670719c369049f2134f570a1da034f88792bd6c067c937e9fca478881bb4228852a46b484d63c851779e06a9fd6145c600dab508228f6879b5f0ce" name="bgateway_link_86" style="color: #274b8d; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;" title="" xt="spclick">Leviticus 17-18; Matthew 27:27-50</a></span></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637625431761781312noreply@blogger.com0