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Children’s Devotion- Obedience
Hey Kids do you know the song, OBEDIENCE? It goes like this. Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. Doing exactly what the Lord commands and doing it happily. Action is the key, Do it immediately, Joy you will receive. Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.
Do you have a hard time obeying your parents, a teacher, or your babysitter? What about forgiving your brother or sister when they do something wrong toward you, have you forgiven them?
Jesus says in John 14:21a, “Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me…” (NLT)
A big part of doing what is right is learning to be obedient…and the best time to start being a more obedient person is right now!
Henry Blackaby, a wise man says this about being obeying our Savior. “Obedience is the outward expression of your love for God.” Are you willing to obey Him and show your love for God by keeping His commandments? Obedience is the very best way!
Thought for today: Do not willingly put yourself in situations where you might be easily tempted to disobey God.
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Bonds of Bitterness
In Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Charles Swindoll poignantly expressed what happens when we’re held captive by the bonds of bitterness:
Bitterness seeps into the basement of our lives like
run-off from a broken sewer pipe. Every form of
ugliness begins to float to the surface of those murky
waters: prejudice and profanity, suspicion and hate,
cruelty and cynicism. There is no torment like the inner
torment of bitterness, which is the by-product of an
unforgiving spirit. It refuses to be soothed, it refuses
to be healed, it refuses to forget. There is no prison
more damaging than the bars of bitterness that will not
let the battle end.
Despite its evils, bitterness holds many of us captive. Forgiveness is the only escape route out of this prison.
Knowing and Doing God’s Will
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (Prov. 3:5-6).
George Mueller was a pastor in England during the nineteenth century who knew what it meant to live a life that was focused on knowing and doing the will of God. God led him in a walk of faith that has become an incredible testimony to all who hear his story.
Whenever he lacked for something, he prayed for the resources. During his ministry in Bristol, England, George built four orphan houses that cared for 2,000 children at the time. When he died at the age of 93, over 10,000 children had been provided for through his orphanages, and he had distributed over eight million dollars that had been given to him in answer to prayer.
How did he know and do the will of God?
"I never remember a period that I ever sincerely and patiently sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have been always directed rightly." Here is how George summed up the way he entered into a "heart" relationship with God and learned to discern God’s voice:
1) "I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter.
2) Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
3) I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined.
4) Next, I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
5) I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright.
Thus, (1) through prayer to God, (2) the study of the Word, and (3) reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly."*
Consider these five steps when discerning God’s voice in your life.
*Henry Blackaby, Claude King, Experiencing God, Lifeway Press, Nashville, TN, p. 33,34
Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.
Children Say the Darndest Things
Art Linkletter said that children say the darndest things. Well, here’s a little chuckle for you. While presenting the gospel at one of our clubs, the speaker first talked about how much God loved each one. Then he continued to explain that we had all been born with sin. He asked if anyone knew what we were all born with, looking for the answer of “sin”. One little girl proudly raised her hand and gave her answer—“ a belly button!”
Jesus loves children and said, “whoever welcomes a little child like this ( he must have had one in his arms) in my name, welcomes me” (Matt 18:5)
Children’s Bible Ministries welcomes children in Jesus’ name, and , in fact seeks them out.
Children’s Bible Ministries of MD, Inc. www.cbmmd.org
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Share God’s Love on Valentine’s Day!
Over the Christmas break I had the privilege of visiting one of our senior veteran missionaries who lives in an assisted living home in Florida. While walking through the halls with Miss Anne we stopped to visit one of her dear friends with whom she visits weekly and sometimes daily to talk to. You see, her friend can no longer communicate in an audible voice but she can communicate with her eyes.
Her eyes light up when Miss Anne entered the room and said hello. They light up again when Miss Anne assured her of God’s love through John 3:16 and of His promise of being our great shepherd as she recited Psalm 23. What a heart of compassion Miss Anne has for this dear friend and for many of the other patients at the home. What an attitude of gratitude she has toward her Savior.
Attitudes of the heart should point in three directions. Her first heart attitude is directed upward to God by her desire to know God’s will and do it; then outward to others by her desire to see others come to know Christ as their Savior; and inwardly toward herself as she sees herself as a child of God and counts on her father for everything. Oh God please give me a compassionate heart and an attitude of gratitude!
With Valentines Day fast approaching it is a reminder to me to share God’s love with my family and friends. One way to share His love is to share God’s Valentine to us (John 3:16). I love the way Max Lucado describes John 3:16 in his book “3:16 The Numbers of Hope”. He says, “A twenty-six word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same.”
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His ONE and ONLY SON. Why? So that none will perish and that all can have eternal LIFE! This Valentine’s Day share John 3:16 with loved one. God’s Valentine To Us!
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God Loves Me
The other day I was thinking about the many blessings which God has given to me. The biggest blessing is understanding that God gave His only Son to die for my sin. I’m so thankful that He knows me to the core and still loves me.
“Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”
Psalm 139:2-6
Posted in Bible Study Topics, Childrens Devotions, Childrens Ministry, Christian Youth Ministry | Tags: God's love | No Comments »
Knowing God’s Voice
Are you having trouble hearing from God? Scripture has some definite things to say about God speaking to His people. Hebrews 1:1 says,"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son."
John 14:26 tells us that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in Jesus name, who "will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 16:13-14 also talks about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Sin has so affected us (Rom.3:10-11) that you and I cannot understand God’s truth unless the Holy Spirit reveals it. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. I cannot give you a formula how you can know for certain that God is speaking to you. But I can give you an example from scripture. When God chose to speak to people in the Bible, they knew it was God, and they knew what God was saying.
Look at John 10:2-4,14. In this passage Jesus says:
. " The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
. The sheep listen to his voice.
. The sheep follow him because they know his voice.
. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me."
The key to knowing God’s voice is not a formula, nor is it a method you can follow. Knowing God’s voice comes from an intimate love relationship with God. That is why those who do not have the relationship ("do not belong to God," John 8:47) do not hear what God is saying. You must watch how God uniquely communicates with you. You can not rely on other’s walk with God. You must depend on God alone. Your relationship with Him is of utmost importance. That relationship must be 24.7.365.
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Are You Ready to Set Goals? Will you ask?
Are you ready for another new year? Are you planning on making resolutions for the New Year? It is the perfect time to start fresh by setting goals for some spiritual growth. We cannot cause our own spiritual growth. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to cause spiritual growth (2 Corinthians 3:18) but God does expect our obedient and active cooperation (I Cor. 9:24-27).
Ask God to guide you as you evaluate your spiritual health and set your goals for spiritual growth for 2012. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 It’s not easy to live in this world. Thank God for His promise of wisdom to each of us who asks and believes that God will give it to us. Imagine that – we have access to the wisdom of almighty God simply by asking! We could never grow spiritually without God’s incredible guidance! The Word of God is full of amazing verses that point us to God’s wisdom for our lives! “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9
This year when we set goals make them attainable goals. 1. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Set only one, two or three goals at a time. Concentrate your efforts! 2. Be realistic and set attainable goals. 3. Set concrete goals that can be measured. (Instead of just setting a goal of spending time in the Word – try, I am going to read one chapter a day and spend 7 minutes in prayer time.) 4. Develop strategies that will help move you forward in attaining your goals. (What verse will you memorize? How will you memorize? What techniques will you use to memorize?) 5. Break your overall goal into measurable steps – smaller goals that will be more manageable to hit.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9 Are you ready for the best year yet? Don’t forget to ask, seek and knock for God’s wisdom in 2012!
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Lift Others Up
We live in an exciting time in history. Why do I say that? Because we have the capability to reach more people than ever through the internet. With social media, we can encourage other Christians any time we want. We can post statements about the Lord that can be shared with thousands of people with one press of a button.
At first I did not embrace this idea. I felt overwhelmed with the idea of having “one more thing to do”. I was stressed out already with all the other commitments, chores, and obligations that I have in my life. So now, I have to Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, etc. I felt like an old dog trying to learn new tricks.
Then I started to see that these social networks are not things, but people. I started to see that it was an opportunity to share the Gospel. This mind set change has taken the burden off and instead replaced it with a sense of purpose. It is a joy to be a blessing to others.
Let’s face it, this is the new way of communicating. Our youth have embraced it and it is not going to change. So, be willing to venture out and learn the new tools. Send us your encouraging messages of God’s love.
Posted in Childrens Devotions, Christian Youth Ministry | Tags: change, christian devotion, christian encouragment, encouraging others | No Comments »
If You Have A Need, Plant A Seed
LUKE 6:38 NKJ
38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your
bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be
measured back to you."
The natural response to having a need is to focus on getting
instead of giving. And to hang on tightly to what we have.
But God does not bless selfishness. He is a giver, and desires
for us to become like Him. So, God’s Word tells us to give.
(Some preachers may have tried to exploit these truths to
enrich themselves, but that does not nullify God’s promises.)
God is trying to raise us to a higher level of thinking, where
we trust in His faithful provision, and express our faith by
blessing others.
PROVERBS 11:24 NET
24 One person is generous and yet grows more wealthy, but
another withholds more than he should and comes to poverty.
It requires faith to give when you don’t have enough to meet
your own needs. But remember that faith pleases God, and
nothing is too hard for God.
Faith acts on God’s Word. Fear hesitates.
To help us understand how giving can enrich us, instead of
impoverishing us, Scripture pictures a farmer planting seed for
a harvest.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6,10 NLT
6 Remember this–a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get
a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a
generous crop.
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then
bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase
your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity
in you.
Plant whatever seed God has given you, and God will give the
increase through a harvest of blessing, and your needs will be
met.
GALATIANS 6:7 CEV
7 You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You
will harvest what you plant.
You are never without seed. Anything of value can be a seed.
Your time is valuable, so if nothing else, you can give time to
pray for others as a seed.
SAY THIS: Whenever I have a need, I will plant a seed.