“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—” 1 Corinthians 1:4-5 NIV

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Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit."
Ephesians 4:30

All that the believer has must come from Christ, but it comes solely through the channel of the Spirit of grace. Moreover, as all blessings thus flow to you through the Holy Spirit, so also no good thing can come out of you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious act, apart from the sanctifying operation of the same Spirit. Even if the good seed be sown in you, yet it lies dormant except he worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Do you desire to speak for Jesus--how can you unless the Holy Ghost touch your tongue? Do you desire to pray? Alas! what dull work it is unless the Spirit maketh intercession for you! Do you desire to subdue sin? Would you be holy? Would you imitate your Master? Do you desire to rise to superlative heights of spirituality? Are you wanting to be made like the angels of God, full of zeal and ardour for the Master's cause? You cannot without the Spirit--"Without me ye can do nothing." O branch of the vine, thou canst have no fruit without the sap! O child of God, thou hast no life within thee apart from the life which God gives thee through his Spirit! Then let us not grieve him or provoke him to anger by our sin. Let us not quench him in one of his faintest motions in our soul; let us foster every suggestion, and be ready to obey every prompting. If the Holy Spirit be indeed so mighty, let us attempt nothing without him; let us begin no project, and carry on no enterprise, and conclude no transaction, without imploring his blessing. Let us do him the due homage of feeling our entire weakness apart from him, and then depending alone upon him, having this for our prayer, "Open thou my heart and my whole being to thine incoming, and uphold me with thy free Spirit when I shall have received that Spirit in my inward parts."

Evening

"Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him."
John 12:2

He is to be envied. It was well to be Martha and serve, but better to be Lazarus and commune. There are times for each purpose, and each is comely in its season, but none of the trees of the garden yield such clusters as the vine of fellowship. To sit with Jesus, to hear his words, to mark his acts, and receive his smiles, was such a favour as must have made Lazarus as happy as the angels. When it has been our happy lot to feast with our Beloved in his banqueting-hall, we would not have given half a sigh for all the kingdoms of the world, if so much breath could have bought them.

He is to be imitated. It would have been a strange thing if Lazarus had not been at the table where Jesus was, for he had been dead, and Jesus had raised him. For the risen one to be absent when the Lord who gave him life was at his house, would have been ungrateful indeed. We too were once dead, yea, and like Lazarus stinking in the grave of sin; Jesus raised us, and by his life we live--can we be content to live at a distance from him? Do we omit to remember him at his table, where he deigns to feast with his brethren? Oh, this is cruel! It behoves us to repent, and do as he has bidden us, for his least wish should be law to us. To have lived without constant intercourse with one of whom the Jews said, "Behold how he loved him," would have been disgraceful to Lazarus; is it excusable in us whom Jesus has loved with an everlasting love? To have been cold to him who wept over his lifeless corpse, would have argued great brutishness in Lazarus. What does it argue in us over whom the Saviour has not only wept, but bled? Come, brethren, who read this portion, let us return unto our heavenly Bridegroom, and ask for his Spirit that we may be on terms of closer intimacy with him, and henceforth sit at the table with him.

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Today's reading: Ezekiel 16-17, James 3 (NIV)

View today's reading on Bible Gateway

Today's Old Testament reading: Ezekiel 16-17

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

¹ The word of the LORD came to me: ² “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices ³ and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. ⁴ On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ⁵ No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

⁶ “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”

...read the rest on Bible Gateway

Today's New Testament reading: James 3

Taming the Tongue

¹ Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ²We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell....

...read the rest on Bible Gateway

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Melchisedec, Melchizedek[Mĕlchĭs'e dĕc, Mĕl chĭz'e dĕk]—king of righteousness or justice. The priest and king of Salem, who met Abraham and blessed him (Gen. 14:18; Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1-21). His pedigree is not recorded ( Ezra 2:59,62).

The Man Who Prefigured Christ’s Priesthood

Although a mysterious figure, Melchisedec is yet a figure of great importance. His biography is short. He comes before us in history (Gen. 14); in prophecy (Ps. 110); in doctrine (Heb. 7), and prefigures Christ’s priesthood. He is King of Righteousness, and King of Peace—cause and effect. Christ alone can bring us peace since He is our righteousness (Isa. 32:17 ). In a book consisting of genealogies, Melchisedec has no record of father, mother, birth or death. Such silence is part of the divine plan to make him typify more strikingly the mystery of Christ’s birth and the eternity of His priesthood.

The priesthood of this mysterious man was not based on what he was, or on any inherited right. Christ was without father on earth as to His humanity, and without mother as to His deity. He was the only-begotten of the Father, and without pedigree as to His priesthood. The greatness of Melchisedec is seen in that Abraham gave him tithes, and was blessed of him. Christ being greater, deserves and demands our all.

In Christ we have an unchallengeable priesthood, for He was made Priest by the solemnity of a divine oath. His is also an uninterrupted priesthood, for death cannot overtake Him. His priesthood is likewise nontransferable—it cannot be delegated to anyone on earth. Christ, like Melchisedec, had in His office as Priest, no ancestor, no associate, no descendant. With the Aaronic priesthood it was different.

Tradition identifies Melchisedec as Shem, the son of Noah (Gen. 11:11), or as Philitis, the builder of the great Pyramid of Egypt.

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Euodias

The Woman Who Fell Out With Her Friend

Scripture References - Philippians 4:2(see Acts 16:13-15; 17:12)

Name Meaning - Euodias is actually a man's name. Euodia is its right form here ( Philippians 4:2, rv). Euodias means "prosperous journey" - Euodia, "fragrant." Wilkinson has the note, "Euodia is 'a good journey,' and was used in the colloquial Attic Greek as the French use the expression bon voyage." Euodia is coupled with another female, Syntyche, and both may have been among the women who resorted to prayer at the river bank (Acts 16:13-15), and among the honorable women who believed ( Acts 17:12). Scripture is silent on the genealogy and family association of these two women who, after their conversion became colaborers with Paul in the Gospel (Philippians 4:3). Belonging to a class bespeaking prosperity they doubtless ministered unto Paul of their substances.

At Philippi women were the first hearers of the Gospel and Lydia the first convert. If Euodias and Syntyche were also brought to the Lord there, they naturally took a leading part in teaching the Gospel to other women in a private sphere of labor once the Church had been formed there (1 Timothy 2:11, 12).

When Paul exhorted these two prominent workers to "be of the same mind in the Lord," he implied that they had been previously at variance. What caused the breach between these two deaconesses in the Philippian Church we are not told. Perhaps one had a more dominant personality than the other and received more attention. Whatever the dispute was, it became serious and hindered the work of the Lord, so Paul besought the two women to give up their differences and live at peace in the Lord. The lack of harmony between Euodias and Syntyche disturbed the Apostle, so he urged a reconciliation, for as those professing to be redeemed their whole life should be lived in peace and in an endeavor to please Him who had saved them.

A humorist has suggested that because of the strife between these sisters in Christ they should have been called Odiousand Soon-touchy . It was sad that there was this difference of opinion, and more tragic still that divisions have kept Christians apart all down the ages. "How can two walk together except they be agreed?" is an old adage we have lost sight of. We like to believe that Paul did not plead in vain, and that Euodias and Syntyche were completely reconciled and went on unitedly to serve the God of peace. Is there any need of such a reconciliation in your life as a Christian? If so, for the sake of your own peace of heart and your influence in the world, go out and put wrong things right.

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November 21, 2011

Grandma's Inheritance

Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth

Older women...encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home ... (Titus 2:3-5, NASB).

Friend to Friend

As far as I can remember, my Grandma Edwards was always old. She didn't have many material possessions, but she had a sharp mind, a determined spirit, and buckets full of love. She was a small-framed woman who raised a family of five children during the depression by running a country general store and harvesting produce from her garden. Her waist-long, tightly braided hair wound around her head like a crown, and her teeth came out at night.

Another thing that always amazed me as a little girl was Grandma's undergarments. She wore knit baggy underwear that hung down to her knees and an equally attractive T-shirt to match. I never saw these undergarments anywhere except on Grandma's clothesline, so I decided there must be a special "Grandma store" that sold baggy underwear just for grandparents.

Grandma never drove a car, but she would ring up the grocery store and a box of supplies would magically appear on her back stoop. Grandma's house was filled with the aroma of strong coffee and fresh-baked biscuits. There was also the scent of salve, which was the cure-all for any ailment, and of snuff, which she would sneak between her cheek and gum when she thought I wasn't looking.

Each summer I would spend a week at Grandma's house. The highlight of our day was watching Perry Mason on her big black-and-white television. We drank Coca-Cola from cold glass bottles and ate peanut butter crackers. Grandma had a standing date with Perry each day. If someone "came a'callin' " during that time, they knew to pull up a chair, grab a Coke, and wait until the verdict was in before conversation could commence.

During my weeks with Grandma, there were no trips to fast-food restaurants or shopping sprees at the mall. That's just not what grandmas were for. So what did I do for seven days? I did what Grandma did (except dip snuff). I made biscuits, shelled lima beans, canned vegetables for the following winter, and learned how to sew.

When I was six years old, Grandma taught me how to turn a square piece of daisy-covered fabric into a gathered apron with a big bow in the back. At seven, we transformed a rectangular piece of floral cloth into a jumper with big ball buttons on the straps. At eight, we conquered the zipper.

Without realizing it, my grandmother was being a Titus 2 woman. "Older women...encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home." It was her inheritance to me.

Grandma didn't leave me a sum of money when she passed away, but she left something much more valuable. God used her to show me that leaving an inheritance to our children is so much more than money in the bank, well-invested mutual funds, and valuable heirlooms. It is leaving them memories of simple times together, showing them on how to become men and women of God, and leaving a legacy that causes them to "rise up and call you blessed."

What sort of legacy will you leave behind? The more we become women who listen to God, the more likely we will leave a yearning in others to do the same.

Let's Pray

Dear Lord, help me to leave a godly heritage and invest love today that will multiply tomorrow. Help me to always remember what is important-not money in the bank, but God in the heart. Help me to be the type of woman that we read about in Titus 2 who exemplifies what You desire.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Can you think of an older woman who has invested in you? Consider writing her a note and telling her how she has blessed you.

How are you investing in the younger generation?

If you are reading this devotion, there is someone younger than youJ

Here is a way to honor someone who has been a Titus 2 woman for you. Log onto www.facebook.com/sharonjaynesand share how she has helped you understand what a godly woman looks like.

More from the Girlfriends
Do you find yourself longing to hear God's voice - not as a once-in-a-lifetime experience but on a daily basis? If so, Sharon's new 15-Minute Devotional book, Listening to God Day-by-Day,will help you do just that. It is an expanded version of the smaller book, Extraordinary Moments with God. In it you will find 100 devotions to help you become a woman who detects God's still small voice in all of life. This is a warm, fun, tender look at recognizing some of the wonderful and unexpected ways God reaches out to us in the middle of our busy day.

Seeking God?

Click here to find out more about

how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

P.O. Box 725

Matthews, NC 28106

info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

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November 21, 2011

I Didn't Ask For This
Samantha Reed

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NIV 1984)

I didn't ask for this. Not this. This mercy ruthlessly strumming the strings of my soul. It's too much and unwanted, really.

Mercy has attempted to get in my fortressed heart for so long. Mercy ... so tender to accept; yet, too hard. A damaging force I haven't time to reckon with.

That's why, brick after brick, I construct a dam. Listening ceases - I slap mortar on. Empathy cinches up - I hold back the river of compassionate tears. Situations are avoided - another layer binds the unmovable bricks around my heart.

A tall dam goes round and round and round allowing little- to no- caring about others. Safely confined, I don't have to deal with the trouble or dig through pain or face the fears of others. It's easier this way.

Then a small pair of beat-up tennis shoes arrests me. Cracked leather pings a hole in my tough mortar. Untied frayed laces push one brick out. Once white soles, now stained brown, crack my stronghold.

Her shoes tucked shyly under the rocking chair in my guest room. Their tongues are still. Without a word, without an ounce of force, this broken down pair breaks through my hardened exterior.

And there, in my guest room, Jesus invites me to be His guest. Beckons my unreliable heart into this ancient exhortation:

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

My dam crumbles; releases a flood of pain within. Nearly unbearable else for His grace of walking with me, holding me up. I'm washed with salty tears, empathizing finally with the loss from destruction that pain has wrecked in her life.

His gentle words remind me He's longed for me to grasp this. To take His hand and see these shoes. The heart behind them. The pain and shame and grief and brutal losses. Her trembling desperate hope that has walked in these shoes.

How He's longed for me to walk a mile in them. Love their story. Love her. Love mercy.

This pain doubles me over. How could I be so cold for so long? Distanced and blind to not see ... really see ... the pain around me? My clinched heart opens (still reluctantly, mind you. It's a scary thing to invite mercy in) to love.

I didn't ask for mercy, but mercy asked for me. For my heart, my ways, my life. Strong-arming mercy for long times was my way; an acceptable thing as it wasn't my number one "spiritual gift." But that which the Lord loves, my soul is created to love. Through Him, for Him, walking with Him.

Dam destroyed, I don tattered sneakers; wade through crumbled bricks and mortar. Walking with my God, I pick my way gingerly through tangled habits of avoidance, retreat, disdain. Going back, looking for those in need of mercy; moving ahead, eyes peeled for those in need of mercy.

If we run into each other, please have mercy on me as I learn how to embrace another's pain; as He teaches me to love mercy.

Dear Lord, thank You for the mercy You showed me on the Cross. Every time I've been in need, in pain, in dire straights, Your mercy never fails. Please teach me to love mercy and walk humbly with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Could today be the day you fall in love with mercy as you fall in love with a child from Compassion International?Sponsor a child today. You won't regret it!

Samantha shares about Michelle and Diego, her sponsored Compassion International children, and her trip to El Salvador here. Please hop over to read more and enter to win The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett.

Application Steps:
Do you disregard and avoid mercy? Memorize this verse and draw upon it when you do not want to be merciful. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

Reflections:
"True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less." Tim Keller

Power Verses:
Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (NIV 1984)

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

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Personal Development: Values (Week 1)

READ PSALM 15:1-5

Values are uncompromisable, undebatable truths that drive and direct behavior. They are motivational-they give us reasons why we do things; and they are restrictive-they place boundaries around behavior. Leadership literature is paying increased attention to the importance of consistent values to a leader's effectiveness over the long haul.

King David demonstrated value-driven behavior in Psalm 15. Notice that he said the person who enjoys the presence of God and lives a blameless life is the one who "speaks the truth from his heart" (vv. 1-2). Because this person values truth in his heart, his words express truth. Because he values kindness, he "does his neighbor no wrong" (v. 3). Because he values honesty, he "keeps his oath even when it hurts" (v. 4). Because he values justice, he "does not accept a bribe against the innocent" (v. 5).

Leaders who are value driven reap a great benefit from the Lord. David said they "will never be shaken." Regardless of what may happen around them, they can live with full confidence that the right principles have shaped their values and have guided their decisions. That confidence will give them emotional and spiritual stability. It will enable them to be leaders whom God can use for his glory.

As you reflect on this psalm, consider what values drove the psalmist's behavior. As you examine your own life, what values do you see as driving your behavior? What values would you like to have drive your behavior? Make it your goal, as you begin this two-week study on values, to more completely integrate godly values into your professional and personal life.

Values and Who God Is

God is accountable to no one, and there is no higher principle to which he must conform. He himself is the absolute of truth, beauty, goodness, love and justice. His perfect character is the essence of what the Bible calls "righteousness." In a universe without God, what we call "good" would have no ultimate referent. Turn to Habakkuk 1:13 for a view of this prophet's struggle with God's goodness.

This Week's Verse to Memorize LUKE 12:32-34

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Values and Who I Am

If we look to the world for our moral values, we will be confused by self-interest, social conditioning and situational ethics. The values of our culture are shallow and subjective, but the moral standards of Scripture reflect God's absolute and unchanging character. Turn to Exodus 20:1-17 for the clearest summary of God's values for his people.

Values and How They Work

Values are interesting to discuss in the abstract, but sometimes "values" get in the way of valuable decisions. Maintaining one's values can cost a leader dearly. So how do we decide what matters most when we're weighing the bottom-line costs against our bottom-line convictions? Jesus teaches us how in Matthew 6:19-21. Read it carefully-it is extremely valuable advice.

Values and What I Do

The Apostle Paul possessed tremendous resolve because he was able to link his desires with his values. Hackman and Johnson, in their book Leadership, provide us with guidance that will help us identify our values and then translate them into a compelling vision.

Handbook to Leadership: Leadership in the Image of God
by Kenneth Boa
Buy the Handbook!
The Handbook to Leadership includes: 52-Week Leadership Guide, Topical Leadership Guide, Leadership Character Studies, and Books of the Bible Leadership Guide.

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The Garden of Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36-46 "Going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will'" ( v. 39).

Following His prediction of His disciples' falling away (Matt. 26:30-35), Jesus comes with them to a "place called Gethsemane" (v. 36). They enter a garden there (John 18:1), probably a grove of olive trees since gethsemane means "oil press." Christ separates Himself from most of His disciples, going off to pray with the three men who are closest to him - Peter, James, and John (Matt. 26:37; see 10:2; 17:1). Our Lord is about to enter His most difficult trial and, like all people, desires the support of good friends in His ordeal.

Jesus, of course, is the incarnate, second person of the Trinity. Still, He is also truly human and His humanness is shown through His prayer in Gethsemane. Knowing what is ahead, our Savior begins to experience an anguish so profound that it feels like it might kill Him (Matt. 26:38). This tells us that to feel sorrow is not necessarily wrong, for Jesus grieves and is yet without sin (1 Peter 2:22 ). His grief, in fact, helps prove the fact that God became incarnate. John Calvin writes, "Those who imagine that the Son of God was exempt from human passions do not truly and sincerely acknowledge him to be a man."

Nevertheless, Calvin also comments, Christ's humanity is different than ours in that His grief and weakness is never mixed with sin. Jesus is not questioning His Father's wisdom when He asks the cup (that is, God's wrath; see Jer. 25:15;Zech. 12:2 ) to pass from Him (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44 ). Instead, while bowing to the Almighty's will, He admits honestly His dread of what is to come upon Him - divine affliction for the sins of His people. As Calvin says, Jesus trembles in Gethsemane "because he [has] before his eyes the dreadful tribunal of God, and the Judge himself armed with inconceivable vengeance; and because our sins, the load of which [is] laid upon him, [presses] him down with their enormous weight." Our prayers, Jesus shows us, may honestly confess the anguish we may feel when faced with the prospect of suffering for the Lord's name as long as we submit to God's will, no matter the pain that may come about.

Prayer is not on the radar of Jesus' three friends in Gethsemane. They prefer to sleep, so unprepared are they for what is to come (Matt. 26:40, 43, 45).

Coram deo: Living before the face of God

Honestly presenting our hopes and fears before the Lord carries with it the danger that we might sin and become mad at Him when His will does not match ours. Nevertheless, we may humbly admit all that is weighing upon us as long as we, like Christ, do not rebel against God's purposes. Consider today how honest you are in prayer and strive to present your concerns honestly to the Lord, yet with submission to whatever His plan may be.

For further study:

Genesis 18:22-33

The Bible in a year:

Ezekiel 32-34

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Never Too Old

Today's reading: Joshua 13:1–7

In the early 1900s, a desperate father prayed for his sick daughter: “God, spare her life and I’ll serve you with mine.” Miraculously, the girl recovered. The grateful father quit his job, packed his large family (along with a cow and some chickens) and moved to Texas for seminary. In his mid-30s, he became an evangelist who held tent revivals in Texas and Oklahoma.

For many years, the pastor faithfully preached the gospel. Even after reaching the century mark, he’d rise every day and don a three-piece suit. Despite shaky legs and cataract-clouded eyes, he’d wait for his son-in-law, married to the daughter who had nearly died so many years ago, to guide him downtown for coffee. A newcomer asked, “Why do you get so dressed up?” The aged pastor replied, “I never know when I’ll lead someone to the Lord. By the way, son, do you know Jesus?” Reverend A. F. Whitlock understood a simple truth: You’re never too old to serve God.

As a young man, Joshua was sent to spy out the promised land. Only he and Caleb believed the Israelites could conquer the enemies living there. So the people wandered 40 years until the exodus generation perished—save the two spies. Then, succeeding Moses, Joshua led Israel into the promised land. Though he was about 80, Joshua captained Israel to victory over six nations and 31 kings.

Fast-forward 20 years. Joshua 13:1 somewhat understates, “Joshua had grown old.” It is estimated he was around 100 years old. Joshua might have expected God to send him on vacation: go float atop the Dead Sea or fish in the Lake of Galilee. But God didn’t offer Joshua a retirement plan. Instead he said, “There are still very large areas of land to be taken over.” Joshua’s next task was to divide the land.

Maybe you think you’re too old to keep serving God. You’ve offered your tithes, taught Sunday school, led women’s ministry and sung in the choir. What’s left? There are always “lands” left to conquer. There are children to tell stories to, younger women who would love to hear about your history, sick people to visit, prayers to pray, people who have yet to hear the Good News. You’re never too old to tell others about God’s love.

Reflection

How has your age affected your ability to serve God (perhaps people don’t take you seriously because you’re younger or overlook you due to advanced age)?
What areas has God placed before you to “conquer” (neighborhood, work, family, etc.)?
Explain how Joshua’s story encourages you to continue serving God regardless of your age—young or old.

Joshua 13:1
When Joshua had grown old, the LORD said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.”