tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83367354421198907922024-03-08T12:42:02.721-05:00World ChangersChange the world...right where you are.Steve Bootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01239359074837801896noreply@blogger.comBlogger373125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-17380963426228131152015-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-16T06:00:03.813-05:00Beating the Polygraph
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12:17-22</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Lying lips <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">are</span> abomination to the LORD: but they
that deal truly <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">are</span> his
delight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> There is a
good reason that polygraph tests are inadmissible in court – they are
unreliable. A person who is subjected to a polygraph test is hooked up to a
blood pressure monitor and other detectors that register changes in blood
pressure, body moisture, breathing rate, and other small changes often
undetectable to the human eye. The polygrapher (administrator of the test)
begins the test by asking control questions to get a baseline to measure all
the other responses against. Control questions are things like, “What is your
name?” or “What year is it?” The way to “beat” a polygraph is to cause your
baselines to register at unrealistic levels. For instance, biting your tongue
causes pain that causes your blood pressure to rise. If your blood pressure is
abnormally spiked during the “easy” questions, then it would not be viewed as
spiking during the difficult ones. There are many other “tricks” that can be
employed to cause a polygraph to be unreliable. The reason law enforcement uses
polygraph testing, even though it is inadmissible in court, is most people are
unable to fool the polygrapher, and the test results let detectives know if
they are on the right track in apprehending the criminal or not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there is one polygraph test that
can never be beaten – God’s. Lying may be able to fool some people in law enforcement,
but God knows whether everything you say is the truth or not. The Bible clearly
says that God not only hears every word we say, but that He also knows our
thoughts. That certainly steps far outside the realm of a polygraph test. Many
young men fall into a habit of “stretching the truth.” It is easy to do because
they don’t want to look bad by admitting their mistake or wrongdoing. They are
often surprised by the fact that a little lie got them “off the hook,” and,
before long, telling a lie to escape punishment has become second nature to
them. That is a dangerous way to live.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since God knows the truth or lie in
everything you say, He can reveal those things to the world. One day, those
lies will come back to hurt you as everything comes crashing down. Your
reputation will be stained, your credibility will be questioned, and you
honesty will be doubted by all. Lying is an abomination to God, and therefore,
He cannot let it go unpunished. There may be ways to beat a polygraph, but God
will never be fooled. Determine that you will be one who will always tell the
truth.</span></div>
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Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned.” </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-88927315195323746372015-01-15T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-15T06:00:04.568-05:00Note <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Last year I posted a schedule for reading through the New Testament on the three days per week that I did not post a devotional. I began this year by posting the Old Testament passages to read to make it through in a year, as well. However, due to time restraints and the availability of Bible Reading schedules online, I have decided to forego that for now. If you would like to supplement the days that a devotional is not posted with Bible reading, then I suggest you download a free schedule to read the Bible through in a year. Follow that schedule, and you should be able to accomplish your goal. Here is a link to a Bible Reading schedule.</span> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.html"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.html</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-43756986844843409862015-01-14T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-14T06:00:07.000-05:00With All Purity
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: 2 Timothy
2:14-26</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Intreat…the
younger [women] as sisters, with all purity. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">1 Timothy 5:1-2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> When Joseph worked in Potiphar’s house, he
had free reign of everything in the house because he had been made
second-in-command. It is likely that Joseph was an attractive man, for the only
thing in all the house held back from Joseph pursued him with all her might. It
was Potiphar’s wife. Though daily she tried to lure Joseph to herself, he made
his position quite clear in Genesis 39:9 when he said, “How then can I do this
great wickedness, and sin against God?” Unlike many compromising men who claim
the girl forced herself onto them or who are too enamored by their own
attractiveness to resist temptation, Joseph had learned the value of purity,
and God blessed him tremendously for his stand. He realized that to compromise
his purity would not only be a disservice to Potiphar and his wife, but also a
sin against God. God’s desire for each young man is clearly laid out in 1
Thessalonians 4:4 – “That every one of you should know how to possess his
vessel in sanctification and honor.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world’s idea of masculinity has
shifted dramatically in recent years. Where once it stood to defend a woman’s
honor, now it often involves the ability to take a woman’s purity. The more
women they have been able to “conquer,” the more manly they believe they are.
They play on the innocence of girls who are only looking for love and security.
They use those girls to satisfy their own fleshly cravings, and they discard
them broken, hurt, and used. Most men would never consider robbing a store
because it is seen by society as completely wrong, but somehow it is okay to
steal a woman’s purity from her. True manhood does not compromise a woman’s
purity; true manhood stands up to heroically protect it. True manhood sees the
value in a woman’s’ purity and in his own. Your purity is your most valuable
possession, and a woman’s purity is the most precious gift she has. A man who
has learned to possess himself in honor has learned that wooing a woman’s heart
through kindness and respect is the way that a real man wins her hand in marriage.
First Timothy 5:1-2 says that a young man should treat a young lady just as he
would treat his sister – with all purity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too many young men are willing to
sacrifice the future on the altar of the present. They care only about what is
satisfying right now. They don’t look far enough down the road to realize what
they are losing when they lose their purity or what they are stealing when they
take a young lady’s. Determine to return manhood to its original glory by
treating young ladies with the respect they deserve.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-13666555653977450272015-01-12T07:02:00.000-05:002015-01-12T07:02:29.622-05:00Idols in the Heart<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Ezekiel
14:1-11</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put
the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face…Therefore say unto the
house of Israel…Repent, and turn <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">yourselves</span>
from your idols.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ezekiel 14:3, 6</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> To the current era of Christianity, the
second and third commandments in the list of ten in Exodus 20 have long been
regarded as almost unnecessary. Who has other gods or molds idols out of wood
and then worships them? To many, it seems like a problem only the Israelites
had because of the prevalence of such things in their day. Ezekiel 14 debunks
those myths, however. God came to Ezekiel and told him that the men of Israel
had set up idols in their hearts. He further made it clear that those idols
were a stumblingblock to them, and that they were causing the people to be
separated from God. To God, the solution was simple: turn away from those idols
and turn back to Him, or face the wrath and punishment of God. God wasn’t
looking forward to punishing them; His purpose was far more noble than that. He
wanted them to be His people and He to be their God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is still seeking the same relationship
with His people today. He wants to reign supreme in our lives, but so many
things are vying for the position that should only belong to God. I don’t
suspect that you have wooden idols set up in your bedroom that you pray to
every night. I would actually be concerned if you carried a “pocket god” with
you that you prayed to three times a day. However, many young men have idols in
their hearts that are just as ungodly, yet they seem to think it is okay to
keep them there. There are many idols, but some that are more prominent than
others. Media would be one example of them. This includes music, movies, video
games, television, and the internet. Besides the obvious problems with some of
those things being filled with ungodly images and words, they often rob the
time that one should spend seeking God. Those things are not wrong, but they
often take the place of a relationship with God. Money is another idol of the
heart. Many young men get so enamored with making money that they are willing
to compromise their convictions or miss church and youth activities to get it.
They hold making money in higher esteem than they do the things of God. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, it seems like the Israelites would
have had an easy job getting rid of idols – take them off the mantle, destroy
them, and start worshipping God alone. It is much harder today. Since the idols
in the heart are invisible, they must be sought out, evaluated, then destroyed.
It is best to seek and destroy them before they do the same to you.</span></div>
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have your heart.”</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-72632496834868545672015-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-11T06:00:01.771-05:00The Sandpaper Principle
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Ecclesiastes
3:10-14</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">He hath
made every <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">thing</span> beautiful in
his time… so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the
beginning to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ecclesiastes 3:11<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I like to work with wood. Over the years,
I have made many things from toys for my kids, to coat racks, tables, wall art,
and bookcases. Every single thing that I have made required some sort of
sanding to produce the finished product. Without sandpaper, wood remains rough
and jagged. Sandpaper is not only used for wood, either. It is used to grind
down metal, polish out rust, and smooth out drywall mud on a wall. Sandpaper
has hundreds of uses, but no matter what it is used for, the principle of
sandpaper remains constant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sandpaper acts as if it were tearing down the substance it is rubbing on, but
the opposite is actually true. The more work the sandpaper does of “tearing
down” a material, the more it is destroyed itself, and the more polished the
substance becomes that it is acting upon. Worn-out sandpaper is worth nothing,
and it can never again be useful. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sandpaper principle works in life, as
well. There are many people in the world who will try to make you feel inferior
to them. They will tear down your dreams and ambitions. They will laugh at your
attempts to change the world. They will mock your ideas of greatness. Often,
their comments are hurtful and degrading, even to the point of making you want
to quit. When people hurt you over and over, however, think of them as
sandpaper. They scratch and hurt you, but, in the end, you are polished, and they
are useless. Though I caution you not to take on the victim mentality (many
people view constructive criticism as if they are being bullied or torn down), never
let anyone convince you that you are worthless. God has placed you on this
planet for a reason, and, just because your goals are loftier and your thinking
is less conventional than the rest of the world, doesn’t mean that there is no
place for you. You must fight against the world’s philosophy and attitudes; but
remember, it is God who gave you your mind and your personality. Use it to the fullest
potential of what He has planned for you regardless of what others think of you
or say to you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, let others say what they will. Take
what criticism will help you, and let the rest go. Remember, it is you who will
be made better and brighter and they who will remain useless.</span></span></div>
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your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great people make
you feel that you, too, can become great.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>– Mark Twain</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-32660855620198219862015-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-08T21:37:03.142-05:00Saturday Old Testament Reading<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Genesis 1-2</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-46223422007377140692015-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-09T06:00:07.598-05:00The Invisible Destroyer
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: 1 Samuel
16:1-13</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">…For <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">the LORD seeth</span> not
as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh
on the heart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1
Samuel 16:7 </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Termites are known as the “invisible
destroyer.” This past summer, when I was putting new siding on my house, I also
had to redo the plywood that was covering the studs under the siding. What I
found in a couple spots amazed me. Though they were no longer there, termites
had built tunnels and burrows through some large areas in the studs of my
walls. What they left behind was weak, crumbly wood that had to be replaced. I
would have known I had a problem with them if they were loud, like chainsaws,
and I could have taken care of them before they did any damage; but, one of the
reasons termites are so effective is that they silently destroy. Termites cause
major property damage each year. While they are wreaking havoc on the inside,
no one can tell from the outside until it is too late. The outside of the house
looks perfectly stable, but it will eventually fall. It will ultimately be
revealed that termites had been there all along – slowly, silently destroying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sin is also an invisible destroyer. Young
men allow things like bitterness, rebellion, dishonesty, pornography, or pride
to enter their lives, and it immediately starts to silently destroy them. It
may be noticeable to a few people who are close to them or who consistently
deal with those issues in young men, but to most people, those things are
easily hidden. As invisible as they are, however, they are still destroying
that young man from the inside out. It may take months or years for the
destruction to be complete, but, left untreated, those things will eventually
cause that young man’s life to fall apart. Though he thinks it is hidden, it
will one day be revealed to all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sad thing about a home destroyed by
termites is that it could have easily been prevented. There are many extermination
companies that can come to the house, spray a few chemicals, and eliminate the
termite invasion. End of story on the destruction. That is also the sad thing
about a young man who allows a festering sin to destroy his life. It doesn’t
have to happen. The problem is that many young men are too proud to admit that
they have a problem, or they are too in-love with their sin to let it go,
though they know it is causing their downfall. The solution is to spend time
with God Who can convict them of that sin, and get help from a counselor who
can who can reveal ways to get victory over the sin. Do not allow sin, the
invisible destroyer, to pervade another day.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-1406786047641281492015-01-08T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-08T06:00:07.780-05:00Thursday New Testament Reading<span style="font-size: large;">Revelation 22</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-2285665934024083942015-01-07T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-07T06:00:06.814-05:00I Am a Product of My Wife<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Acts 5:1-11</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Whoso</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> findeth a wife
findeth a good <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">thing,</span> and
obtaineth favour of the LORD. </span></div>
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</span> Proverbs 18:22<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Next to the day I got saved, December 8,
2006, was the best day of my life. That was the day I watched my wife walk down
aisle, and we said our vows in the front of the church. I had made some big
decisions in my life before that point, but none were as big as deciding to
marry my wife. I didn’t even realize, at the time, how important it was. Over
the years, I have tried to do everything that a good husband does – providing
for my wife, loving my wife like I should, taking care of her wants, protecting
her. However, in all honesty, I must admit that I am a product of my wife. Let
me explain. I decided early into my teen years that I was going to serve God
with my life. Everything I did after that, I did with my future service to God
in mind. On the other hand, the pull of the flesh never goes away, and I fight
things just as everyone does. When we first began our relationship, there was a
“feeling out” period where I tried to “feel out” what she believed and stood
for, and she did the same to me. Of course I wanted a girl who was strong in
her standards and convictions, but in the back of my mind, I hoped she was
lenient and didn’t have a problem watching worldly movies or doing things like
that. In other words, what she would have allowed, I probably would have
allowed, and I wouldn’t be where I am today. As I look back, I realize just how
important it was that she stood strong like she did. Though my flesh wanted to
be satisfied, I got exactly what my spirit had hoped and prayed for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My point is this: whomever you marry will
have a tremendous impact on who you become. That is why marriage is such an
important decision. You literally will be a product of your wife. If you marry
a girl with the same fleshly tendencies you have, then you encourage (or, at
least, allow) each other to pursue the things of the flesh. Imagine a triangle
with God at the top and you and your wife on each corner. As you each move
closer to God, you will also move closer to each other. I have discovered that
to be the truth in our relationship. It is so important that you seek a purpose
in your life, not a person. If your purpose is to serve God wholly, then He
will bring the right girl along that will strengthen your resolve to do right.
A good wife will make you a better person than you already are. Beg God each
day to guide you in your marriage decision; it is a fact that you will be a
product of your wife.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-53613488362279378842015-01-06T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-06T06:00:03.134-05:00Tuesday New Testament Reading<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Revelation 21</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-72681337871631166152015-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-05T06:00:02.352-05:00Trust the Engineer
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Proverbs
3:1-12</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Trust in
the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In
all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Proverbs 3:5-6<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “When a train goes through a tunnel and it
gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off; you sit still and
trust the engineer.” Corrie ten Boom, the author of the previous statement,
suffered terribly in a concentration camp when it was discovered that she and
her family were helping Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust. In addition to her own physical
suffering, she had to endure the death of several family members, including her
father and sister, as the result of Nazi guard brutality. Her story is
chronicled in the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hiding Place </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(so named not only because they helped hide
the Jews, but also because that is how she looked upon her God throughout all
the difficulties she faced). Corrie learned to trust God’s timing even though
she couldn’t see how His plan was working. Through a clerical error, she was
released from prison, after which she spent many years writing and speaking all
over the world of God’s goodness and forgiveness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like her, there will be many times in your
life when things get dark. In fact, you may be going through one of those times
now. You are trying to trust God to show you His will in where you should
attend college, whom you should marry, or what God wants you to do with your
life; but it just doesn’t seem like there is any light. It just seems as if God
is not there. That doesn’t mean you should abandon God – He certainly has not
abandoned you. God doesn’t always show you every step of the way all at once.
Things may seem dark because you are looking way down the path. God doesn’t always
shine the light that far (In fact, He rarely does). If you would look one step
in front of you, you would see the light that God is shining on the next step.
Then you will see the next step, and the next, and so on until you are all the
way down the path you were unsuccessfully looking down before. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may get frustrating at times. To use
the analogy that Corrie ten Boom used, you may feel like jumping off the train.
But, you can be sure that God is completely in control and fully capable of
carrying you to your destination. Though things look dark now, you will
eventually break into the light when you exit the tunnel. Sit still and trust
the Engineer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Quote of the day: “Do not </span>spoil what you have by desiring what you
have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you
only hoped for.”</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-26408564642608795192015-01-04T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-04T06:00:02.656-05:00Empty
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Micah
6:10-16</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Therefore
also will I make <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">thee</span> sick in
smiting thee, in making <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">thee</span>
desolate because of thy sins. Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy
casting down <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">shall be</span> in the
midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Micah
6:13-14<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Someone
once said, “The devil doesn’t come dressed in a red cape and having pointy
horns; he comes at you with everything you have ever wished for.” That is how
he deceives so many young people who had a bright spiritual future before they
fell for his lies. Living the life of a good Christian is not easy, especially
in the world we live in today. If it were easy, there would be good Christians
everywhere. The sad part is that true Christians are growing smaller and
smaller in their number. That is due largely to the fact that many of the young
men who grow up in Christian homes are not keeping the faith. On one hand, they
look at the strenuous battles they must face to stay right with God, and they
see the “easy,” pleasure-filled life the devil offers on the on the other. For
years they have longingly looked over the fence at what looked to them to be
greener pastures. One by one, the devil had laid out all the downsides of
Christianity and all the benefits of leaving that life to please self. They
left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What those young men found once they got
to the other side was far from what they had been offered. It’s like looking at
a beautiful house and then realizing it is just a cardboard cut-out. There is
nothing more than a façade. It all looked good on the outside, but the inside
was empty. Too many young men have had to learn the hard way that what the
devil was offering them was not everything he had advertised it would be. They
sever the ties with their families, they leave the stability of a good church,
and they start chasing the “dream” they thought they were missing out on during
all those years they were “forced” to attend church. They got what they wanted
but, at the expense of everything they had. They found out too late that life
apart from God is empty; but they had risked everything on the devil’s lie and
lost it all. Most are too prideful, or too ruined, to try to come back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>R.G. Lee said, “The devil always pays in
counterfeit money.” His promises are empty, and so is life outside God’s will.
Don’t fall for the devil’s lie. Realize that life in Jesus Christ is the
greatest life you could ever live.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Quote of the day: “Dear </span>God, thank you for this beautiful life,
and forgive me if I don’t love it enough.”</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-87945599499812005762015-01-01T06:00:00.000-05:002015-01-01T06:00:00.864-05:00Thursday New Testament Reading<span style="font-size: large;">Revelation 20</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-90461395501573634102014-12-31T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-31T06:00:05.215-05:00Not in My House
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: 2
Corinthians 6:14-18</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Know ye not
that ye are the temple of God, and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">that</span>
the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him
shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">temple</span> ye are. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1
Corinthians 3:16-17<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> The common
term in basketball for a hard block is a “pack.” In fact, in a basketball game,
one of the biggest “Ooooh” moments happens when someone blocks a shot. It’s not
the type of block where a player gets the tip of his finger on the ball and
alters the shot. The “Oooh” is drawn from the throats of the crowd when a
defender smacks the ball away with his whole hand, and the sound is so loud
that it instantly grabs everyone’s attention. Unfortunately, I had it happen to
me in a game once. I was going up for a layup, and I never saw the defender
coming. He hit the ball so hard that it smacked the wall almost as loudly as it
did when he had smacked the ball out of my hands. That defender packed me very
hard that day. Certain players – thankfully it wasn’t the guy who packed me –
will wag their fingers in the face of the player they just packed and
arrogantly say, “Not in my house!” What they mean is, “This court belongs to
me; don’t you bring that ball up in here!” While humility is advised, it is
usually funny to see someone make such a demand. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christianity certainly needs more young
men to stand up and say, “Not in my house!” Oh, not because they blocked
someone’s basketball shot, but because their lives are the temple of the Holy
Ghost, and they will not allow certain things into it. We need young men to
stand up and say they will not allow the wrong kind of music into their ears.
We need young men will not allow wicked movies, questionable things on the internet,
or pornography through their eyes to be burned into their memory banks. We need
young men to determine they will never drink alcohol, smoke, or take drugs.
Your body is the temple of God, a house for your soul. Allowing those things
into your life defiles the very place where the Holy Ghost lives inside you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A basketball player who makes a big block
gets fired up; he gets excited to play harder and do it again. Usually, he
inspires his team to play tougher defense, as well. Often, that can change the
momentum and the outcome of the game. A young man who determines he is going to
do right will inspire himself to continue in the direction he is going. He will
get others around him excited about doing right, and his counselors will be
encouraged to continue doing what they do, as well. A young man who blocks
things from his life and humbly says, “Not in my house!” is an inspiration to
others and a vital part of a winning team.</span></span></div>
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iniquities…Those who have know God without knowing their wretchedness have not
glorified Him, but glorified themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>– Blaise Pascal</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-52244330453186257212014-12-30T23:00:00.000-05:002014-12-30T23:00:02.089-05:00Tuesday New Testament Reading<span style="font-size: large;">Revelation 19</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-58447218412775143162014-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-29T06:00:03.441-05:00Three Sheets to the Wind
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Proverbs
23:19-35</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">And be not
drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ephesians 5:18<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> In sailing,
a “sheet” is a rope used to control the movable corners of a sail. There are
three main sails held in place by the sheets aboard a sailing vessel. When
those sheets come loose, it causes the sails to flap uncontrollably and the
ship to be driven mercilessly by the wind and the waves. In other words, “three
sheets to the wind” means that the vessel is completely out of control. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Three sheets to the wind” is also used to
describe a man who is so drunk that he can no longer control himself. Alcohol
has been the abuser of men, families, and humanity for generations. It is a
destroyer that starts its destruction with the first drop. That is most
certainly the reason that Proverbs 23:31 says, “Look not thou upon wine when it
is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.” To
even look at alcohol with the desire to drink it is a step in the wrong
direction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though some would argue the contrary, the
Bible clearly teaches that drinking alcohol is wrong under any circumstances.
However, the purpose of today’s devotion is not to point out those verses and
argue those points; it is to give you a strong warning to avoid alcohol at all
costs. Alcohol is the drink of death. Many young people have taken their first
drink because they were pressured to do so by a “friend” who convinced them it
would be “cool.” The devil does everything he can to use television commercials
and printed advertisements to make people believe that alcohol brings only a
good time and beautiful women. Nothing could be further from reality. There are
thousands of stories readily accessible of successful men who made alcohol their
companion. Its smell was horrendous and the taste even worse; still they chose
to drink, and their lives were forever changed. What started as a small sip
they thought they could control, turned into bottle after bottle until they
drank away their success, their money, their families, and their lives. Then it
was too late to get it all back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A wise
young man will not even consider drinking alcohol. In addition to the many
warnings in Scripture, Proverbs 23:32 says, “</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">At the last it biteth like a serpent, and
stingeth like an adder.” No young man would be foolish enough to play with a
poisonous snake, and no young man should be foolish enough to try drinking
alcohol. The first drink will set you on a long, lonely road to destruction
from which there is no return. </span></div>
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of the enemy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– Stonewall Jackson</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-59349086125741308722014-12-28T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-28T06:00:00.043-05:00Distinctly Christian
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: 2
Corinthians 6:14-18</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">thing;</span>
and I will receive you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 Corinthians 6:17 </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> According
to the Great Commission, our job as Christians, is to go into the world to win
souls for Jesus Christ. There are many ways we can accomplish that task, such
as preaching the gospel and personally talking to individuals about Christ,
just to name two. An often overlooked, but equally important, aspect of winning
souls to Christ is winning them through the way that you live. When the way you
live does not represent Christ, you send a confusing message to the unsaved who
are watching you. Let me give you a couple examples. Suppose a fellow soldier
of yours came walking up to your post wearing the uniform of the enemy. You may
recognize him as your friend, but you would also be ready to shoot, just in
case he had switched sides. You would be confused when he came up to talk to
you as if nothing was different. Or, what if one of your basketball teammates
came into the gym wearing the jersey of the other team? You would know him as
your teammate, but you would be confused as to why he was trying to play on
your team while being dressed like the opponent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it relates to Christianity, we separate
from the world and keep our lives clean so others can see the difference Christ
has made in our lives. As they notice that difference, they will want what we
have and be led to Christ. When we are no different from the world, our message
to them is confusing. If we dress like the world dresses, talk like the world
talks, play the music the world plays, watch the same filthy programs and
movies the world watches, and act like the world acts, then what would make
them want to change? If there is no difference between us and them and us, then
there is nothing to draw them to Christ or Christianity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will
there be times that you get laughed at for being different? Probably. Will
there be times when you get shunned for taking a stand? Most definitely. Is it
going to be worth it all when we stand before Christ some day? Absolutely! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soldiers wear the uniform of their countries
to show they are distinctly from those countries. Basketball players wear their
team’s jersey because they are distinctly on that team. Christians should talk,
look, and act like Christians because they are distinctly on the Lord’s side.
When we begin to completely act like Christians, we can better fulfill the
Lord’s command to share the gospel with every creature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Quote of the day: </span>“Your life as a Christian should make
nonbelievers question their disbelief in God.”</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-26054398847765191402014-12-27T22:59:00.000-05:002014-12-27T22:59:00.348-05:00Saturday New Testament Reading<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Revelation 18</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-16331583735544862962014-12-26T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-26T06:00:04.216-05:00Fracking for Gold<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: John
5:30-39</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Search the
scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which
testify of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>John 5:39<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Hydraulic
fracking is a relatively new technology designed to extract natural gas from
the shale rock layers deep within the earth. This process makes it possible to
reach deeper layers and extract natural gas from areas that were unreachable
with conventional extraction technology. Because the process is safe and
“environmentally friendly,” it is rapidly expanding the world’s access to
natural gas deposits. As more natural gas is extracted, there is a broader
access to well-paying jobs and a direct link to lower gas prices for consumers.
In other words, the fracking process is a “win-win” situation for everyone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hydraulic fracking process is a lot
like searching the Word of God. Just as there is an abundance of natural gas
inside the earth that is waiting to be brought to the surface, the Word of God
is filled with wisdom and truths that are waiting to be explored. Expanded
knowledge and advanced processes make it easier than ever to study the Bible,
and that leaves no excuse for someone to not study it. The invention of the
internet makes the information about the Word of God more accessible than ever
before. Finding information used to take hours searching through volumes of
books but can now be done in minutes with an internet search. So why are so
many people neglecting the exploration of the valuable resource that could
literally change their lives? Fracking for oil is a profitable venture, but
studying the Word of God is worth more than if you were fracking for gold. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many would agree that it would be a foolish
mistake to forget the fracking process in favor of the more expensive and
cumbersome conventional technology. Why would we not use the process that
brings out the most gas, makes us more energy independent, and drives down the
cost for everyone? The same type of question could be asked of a young man who
fails to read and study his Bible. God has given us something far more valuable
than anything found on earth – an insight into His mind and heart. Why would we
give up studying the Word of God in favor of studying video games, sports
stars’ stats, or movies?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is time for young men to wake up, realize
what a precious asset they have in the Bible, and then begin to study it for
its real value. When young men return to the Word of God, It can transform them
into what God wants them to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Quote of the day: “When duly read and meditated on, [the Bible] is of all
books in the world, that which contributes most to make men good, wise, and
happy.” – John Quincy Adams</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-9171960193433761852014-12-25T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-25T06:00:04.564-05:00They Are Still Seeking
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Matthew
2:1-12</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Now when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold,
there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew 2:1</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The wise men – though they have no faces
or names, are probably the most recognized men in the story of Jesus. They were
highly esteemed men who came, most likely, from Persia or Arabia. Though they
bore three distinct gifts, there is no mention actually of how many of these men
there were. They knew the Scriptures well, for as soon as the star appeared in
the east, they recognized it as the one that would lead them to the Christ.
They saw the star, it disappeared, and they travelled by faith to Jerusalem.
When they got to Jerusalem, the star reappeared and led them not to the manger,
but to the house where Jesus was possibly already two years old. Though still
very small, the wise men recognized that the Child they had spent so long
seeking after, was indeed the Son of God. With Mary looking on, their knees
bent in reverence as they fell down and worshipped Him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though Jesus is no longer a child resting
under a miraculous star in Bethlehem, wise men still seek Him. That does not
mean that you have to be a scholar in all areas, capable of giving advice to a
king. A wise man is any man who seeks after God. Paul, as he stood atop Mars’
Hill in Athens, spoke of all nations of men when he said, “That they should
seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be
not far from every one of us (Acts 17:27). The wise man will seek after Christ,
first, for salvation. Although there are so many proposed ways to Heaven, there
really is only one way – Jesus Christ. There is no getting into Heaven through
a back door or taking a short cut to get there. Secondly, a wise man will seek
God to know His will for his life. There are thousands of different career
paths that a young man can choose, but only one matters. If he does not choose
God’s will for his life, then he cannot be in a place where God can bless him.
God has one specific college picked for you to attend, one specific young lady
for you to marry, and one career that he wants you to pursue. As you seek God
in those matters, He will reveal each one to you. Lastly, a wise man will seek
to know God. Philippians 3:10 begs, “That I may know Him.” A wise man seeks to
draw closer to God and to enhance his relationship with Him each day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though it was over two thousand years ago
that the original wise men made the long journey to Bethlehem, it is certain
that wise men are still seeking after Jesus Christ. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-2465711360539827282014-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-23T06:00:07.581-05:00Tuesday New Testament Reading<span style="font-size: large;">Revelation 17</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-38258391653559557382014-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-22T06:00:02.011-05:00They Will Make It Home
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Galatians
6:7-10</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Galatians 6:7<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Growing up
out in the country, we had a pretty large chicken pen. At any point in time, you
would find around fifty chickens. (When your family consists of ten children, your
parents need work to occupy them and eggs to feed them, so it worked out well.)
We had converted an old tool shed into a coop where the chickens could roost
and lay eggs. We rotated chores, but every night, someone had the
responsibility of making sure all the chickens were in and that the doors were
closed. That was the job every one of us wanted because it was so easy. There
were never any chickens to shoo into the coop because they instinctively knew
what they were supposed to do. The job was “so easy” because all you really had
to do was close the door behind them – they went to their roosting boxes every
single night, without exception. The phrase “when the chickens come home to
roost” has become synonymous with actions coming back upon the person who
committed them – because the chickens always come back.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young men seem particularly unaware of how
their actions affect them, especially when it comes to their lack of
seriousness. I don’t want you to get the impression that you can never have any
fun or that it is shameful to laugh at something, but many young men lack the
wisdom to distinguish between laughing at a joke and being a “jokester.” Some
young men never find a time to be serious. Everywhere they go with their
friends, they are looking for a laugh. For example, they make fun of teachers
behind their backs, or even, when they get bold enough, to their faces, to get
a laugh. They go out in public, and they have to be the ones that are always
doing foolish things just to get their friends shaking their heads and saying,
“I can’t believe he just did that.” They poke fun at everyone and everything,
not caring whose feelings they hurt in the process, just so they can feel the
attention of laughter from their friends. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some day the “chickens will come home to
roost” for this person. Everything is a joke now, but wait until you are facing
problems like seeing your child in a hospital room needing serious surgery or
your wife on the edge of death with cancer. Things become serious very quickly
then, but you won’t know how to handle it. Everything is no longer fun and
games then, but you won’t know how to pray or how to comfort those who need
you. There is nothing wrong with light-heartedness, but make sure that does not
characterize your life. Learn to be serious now because when the chickens come
home to roost and the tables are turned, you will find that life is not the big
joke you thought it was.</span></span></div>
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that composes books.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– Franklin </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-61640750814789954002014-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-21T06:00:00.782-05:00The Gamer's Bane
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Ephesians
5:8-18</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ephesians
5:16<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Over the past decade, video games have
taken the world by storm. Improvements in computer animation have made the
video game experience more real-to-life than at any other point in history. For
this reason, more people have immersed themselves in video gaming than ever
before. Despite the unimpeded violence, filthy language, and completely ungodly
music associated with most popular video games, Christian young men have begun
to accept video game culture, as well. The pursuit of the next level in a game
drives them to spend hours upon hours with their thumbs on a remote and their
eyes glued to a screen. Everything else gets shut out around them as they enter
the bubble known as the gaming world. They are not to be disturbed until they
choose to exit or until they are pulled away from achieving dominance in their
alternate reality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there is nothing inherently wrong
with a video game, there are several dangers that must be taken into
consideration if you are to walk away from your gaming paradise spiritually
alive. First of all, video games demand much of one’s attention that belongs to
God. Such exorbitant amounts of time spent playing video games take away from
the time that could and should be spent with God. It’s amazing how young men
can find unlimited hours for video game play, but then claim they just don’t
have enough time to read their Bibles or spend a few minutes in prayer. Don’t
you think God would love it if you spent some time that you normally spend
focusing on getting to the next level of the game on Him instead? Aside from
the obvious issues, taking time that belongs to God, think about how it affects
your focus away from the games. Every time you sit in church, your mind drifts
to ways you can beat the game. Every time you close your eyes, you replay
scenes from your gaming experiences. Those are times that God could use to
speak with you; instead, the video games have taken His place. Another danger
of video games is their content. Most are far from pleasing to God. When you
sit and listen to all that ungodly music and language or watch ungodly actions,
then you become numb to the fact that they are wicked. Things that should
bother you no longer do because they are so familiar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing wrong with a using a
clean video game for entertainment from time to time, but in the end, video
games count for nothing – you are not made a better person or Christian because
you played them. Focus on what really matters – living for and pleasing God.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-91700744982259197842014-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-20T06:00:04.562-05:00Saturday New Testament Reading<span style="font-size: large;">Revelation 15-16</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043612880175383136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336735442119890792.post-41493328476742658042014-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-19T06:00:03.996-05:00Not Without Honor
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read: Ephesians
6:1-3</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Honour thy
father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exodus 20:12</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Imagine how the soldiers who crucified
Christ must have felt when they stood before God at the end of their lives and
realized their mistake. The soldier who shoved the crown of thorns on His head
must have been mortified to learn that Jesus was the King of Kings. The soldier
who drove the spikes through His hands and feet must have been devastated to
learn that He was not the criminal he thought He was. The soldiers who lifted
the heavy beams that formed the rugged cross and dropped it into its final
resting place atop Mt. Calvary were undoubtedly astounded to find out that they
had murdered the One who had created the things they handled so mercilessly.
The soldier who gave Jesus vinegar to drink in place of water as he hung there
dying must have been stunned when he heard that Jesus was the Living water and
that he had done his part to ensure His death. Jesus had remarked in Mark 6:4
that a prophet was not without honor except in his own country, and those
soldiers had proven that to be true. They had unknowingly crucified the One who
deserved every last ounce of their honor and respect. They didn’t realize what
they had until He was gone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is easy to criticize those soldiers for
their treatment of Christ, but many young men treat their parents the same way.
Parents certainly are not Jesus Christ, but they do deserve honor for who they
are. Your mother went through the jaws of death, even offering her own life if
that was needed, to give you birth. Your parents sacrifice daily by going to
work to support you and by giving up the nice things that they could have
themselves so they can give you a place to live, food, schooling, and so many
more things. Imagine how you will feel when you stand before God one day and
realize your mistake in mistreating the parents He gave you. Parents are often
not without honor except in their own families, which is really a shame because
within their own families is where they deserve honor the most. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No parent is perfect, and some haven’t
earned the honor and respect of their children, but that doesn’t give the
children the right to act toward them in a way that is displeasing to God. His
command is not to honor them if they are honorable; this command is to honor
your parents. Period. Honoring them involves obeying them, respecting them (to
their faces and behind their backs), and following their advice. Children who
unfailingly honor their parents will be honored by God for following His
command to give them the respect they deserve. </span></div>
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of the day: “Respect is what we owe; love, what we give.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– Philip Bradley</span></div>
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