DEVITION - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2011

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28^TH, 2011

“OUR QUIET DWELLING PLACE”

BY

ALISTAIR BEGG

Psalms 91:9

The Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change. Whenever the pillar of cloud stopped, the tents were pitched; but the next day the morning sun arose, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow mountain passes, up the hillsides, or along the arid wastes of the wilderness. They scarcely had time to rest a little before they heard the sound of "Onward! this is not your rest; you must keep journeying onward toward Canaan!" They never stayed for long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them.

They had an abiding home in their God; His cloudy pillar was their roof, and its flame by night their fireplace. They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle or to say, "Now we are secure; we will stay in this place." Moses says, "Though we are always changing, Lord, you have been our dwelling-place throughout all generations."¹

The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich today and poor tomorrow; he may be sick today and well tomorrow; he may be happy today and sad tomorrow--but there is no change regarding his relationship to God. If He loved me yesterday, He loves me today.

My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord. Even when prospects are few and hopes are squashed and joy is waning, I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is "my refuge" to which I continually return. I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet dwelling place.

DEVOTION - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26^TH, 2011

“FRENCH FRIES”

BY

DR ED YOUNG

The Bible says more about money that it does about heaven or hell combined, and contains amazingly relevant principles regarding money management, stewardship, and budgeting. But the bottom line is this: every bit of what the Christian has belongs to God. He owns everything.

This principle was vividly illustrated to me in McDonald's of all places. I had gone to the home of the golden arches for lunch with my granddaughter, LeeBeth. We stood at the counter and placed our orders. She, with the confidence of youth and healthy arteries, ordered a "Happy Meal," including a hamburger, french fries and a drink. I, of the older and more "heart smart" generation, ordered a "McLean," with no fries. I paid for both of us, and we took our lunches to a nearby table and sat down. About halfway through our meal, I began to think how good one of LeeBeth's french fries would taste. As I reached across the table, she put her hand in front of mine and said with a stern warning, "No, Goosey, those are mine."

Now I bought every one of those french fries, and if I had wanted to, I could have marched back up to the counter and bought every french fry in the house. As I thought about her response, I began to understand how our childlike possessiveness of the things He provides must appear to God. He owns everything…and it is all at His disposal. He gives it to us to "do business with" for an undetermined time. May we be found faithful with what is His.

MEMORY VERSE

I CHRONICLES 29:16 …all this abundance that we have provided to build Thee a house for Thy Holy Name, it is from Thy hand, and all is Thine.

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25^TH, 2011

“WHAT IS JUSTIFICATION”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

"…and whom He justified, them He also glorified." Romans 8:30

What does it mean to be justified? It means to be declared righteous.

Justification is not being good, though being good gives God glory. When you put your faith where God put your sins - on the Lord Jesus Christ - then God stamps "righteous" over your name in His "Book of Life."

It's not because of what you have done or ever can do, but because of His justification.

No court on earth can justify anybody. But what God does is take a guilty person and not only give that guilty person a pardon, but He makes that guilty person just as if he had never sinned. That's justification.

If you lived every moment believing in the justification that God has given you, how would your faith be strengthened? Would you be more vocal about the gift of God's love?

DEVOTION - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24^TH,  2011

“I’M FOR CHRIST”

FROM

FOCAL POINT MINISTRIES

BY

PASTOR MIKE

In his parable of differing "soils" Jesus specifies some of the reasons certain people initially embrace Christianity, often with a great deal of enthusiasm and fervor, but then after a while bail out never to establish a root system which bears genuine and lasting fruit.

Those identified as the first to leave do so because of "a time of testing" (Lk.8:13). This is some kind of painful situation or "persecution" (Mt.13:21) that arises in a person's life because of his or her new alliance with Christ. This is easy to imagine, knowing the power of social pressures and the unsympathetic "friends" who are quick to disparage and ridicule one's confession to follow Jesus. When Christ costs friendships, some new "adherents" of Jesus are quick to say "forget it".

The other primary reason is variously described as "the cares of the world" (Mt.13:22), the "pleasures of life" (Lk.8:14), or simply a "desire for other things" (Mk.4:19). The assortment of worldly attractions will certainly put one's supposed faith to the test. Time will reveal whether people who claim to "follow Christ" will actually experience a God-given consistency in following Christ, or will instead retreat to following their own cravings for the temporal things of this world.

So, without being cynical, we must be cautious knowing that based on Jesus' teaching, not every "I'm for Christ" is genuine.
-- Pastor Mike

DEVOTION - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2011

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23^RD, 2011

“LET’S TALK”

BY

DR ED YOUNG

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that men and women are different! Therefore, husbands and wives need to remind themselves frequently that they have married a foreigner! One of the first things any husband needs to learn is how important talk is to the woman he has married. Women are natural communicators, and their love of sharing thoughts and ideas begins early. A few years ago I was spending an afternoon with my granddaughter, LeeBeth. We played games for a while, ran for a while…just did things together. But it wasn't long before she had another idea: "Goosey," she said, "let's go back in my room. I want to tell you something." So we went to her little room, and closed the door, and she said, "I have some secrets to tell you." She began to tell me some little things, and I listened…then she said, "Now you tell me some secrets." Now, I had three boys, and not one of them ever told me a secret or asked me to tell them one. But girls deepen relationships with talk and sharing of special secrets.

Applying this truth to marriage means that a part of showing a wife affection is communicating with her—not only talking, but really listening. How many men have suddenly heard their wives say, "Did you hear what I said?" or, "Are you listening?" I am often guilty here. Sometimes men, we just do not listen as we should. But by his attentiveness to his wife and his desire to communicate with her in a meaningful way, a man demonstrates affection. And affection is the number one need of a wife in marriage.

MEMORY VERSE

A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind.