Daily reading for Tuesday February 1, 2011: Exodus 27-28, Matthew 21:1-22(King James Version)

Daily reading for Tuesday February 1, 2011

Exodus 27-28, Matthew 21:1-22(King James Version)

Exodus 27

   ¹And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

   ²And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

   ³And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.

   ⁴And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.

   ⁵And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.

   ⁶And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.

   ⁷And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.

   ⁸Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

   ⁹And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:

   ¹⁰And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.

   ¹¹And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

   ¹²And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.

   ¹³And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.

   ¹⁴The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

   ¹⁵And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

   ¹⁶And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.

   ¹⁷All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.

   ¹⁸The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.

   ¹⁹All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.

   ²⁰And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.

   ²¹In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Exodus 28

   ¹And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

   ²And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

   ³And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

   ⁴And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

   ⁵And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

   ⁶And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

   ⁷It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

   ⁸And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

   ⁹And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

   ¹⁰Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

   ¹¹With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

   ¹²And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

   ¹³And thou shalt make ouches of gold;

   ¹⁴And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

   ¹⁵And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

   ¹⁶Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

   ¹⁷And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

   ¹⁸And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

   ¹⁹And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

   ²⁰And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

   ²¹And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

   ²²And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.

   ²³And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

   ²⁴And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.

   ²⁵And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.

   ²⁶And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.

   ²⁷And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

   ²⁸And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

   ²⁹And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

   ³⁰And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

   ³¹And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

   ³²And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

   ³³And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

   ³⁴A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

   ³⁵And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

   ³⁶And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

   ³⁷And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

   ³⁸And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

   ³⁹And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.

   ⁴⁰And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.

   ⁴¹And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

   ⁴²And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

   ⁴³And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

---

Matthew 21

   ¹And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

   ²Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

   ³And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

   ⁴All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

   ⁵Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

   ⁶And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

   ⁷And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

   ⁸And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

   ⁹And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

   ¹⁰And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

   ¹¹And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

   ¹²And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

   ¹³And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

   ¹⁴And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

   ¹⁵And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,

   ¹⁶And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

   ¹⁷And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

   ¹⁸Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

   ¹⁹And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

   ²⁰And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

   ²¹Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

   ²²And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Posted via email from ..................The Last Call Digest

Daily reading for Tuesday February 1, 2011: Exodus 27-28, Matthew 21:1-22(King James Version)

Daily reading for Tuesday February 1, 2011

Exodus 27-28, Matthew 21:1-22(King James Version)

Exodus 27

   ¹And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

   ²And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

   ³And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.

   ⁴And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.

   ⁵And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.

   ⁶And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.

   ⁷And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.

   ⁸Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

   ⁹And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:

   ¹⁰And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.

   ¹¹And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

   ¹²And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.

   ¹³And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.

   ¹⁴The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

   ¹⁵And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

   ¹⁶And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.

   ¹⁷All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.

   ¹⁸The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.

   ¹⁹All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.

   ²⁰And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.

   ²¹In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Exodus 28

   ¹And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

   ²And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

   ³And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

   ⁴And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

   ⁵And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

   ⁶And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

   ⁷It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

   ⁸And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

   ⁹And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

   ¹⁰Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

   ¹¹With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

   ¹²And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

   ¹³And thou shalt make ouches of gold;

   ¹⁴And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

   ¹⁵And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

   ¹⁶Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

   ¹⁷And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

   ¹⁸And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

   ¹⁹And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

   ²⁰And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

   ²¹And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

   ²²And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.

   ²³And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

   ²⁴And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.

   ²⁵And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.

   ²⁶And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.

   ²⁷And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

   ²⁸And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

   ²⁹And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

   ³⁰And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

   ³¹And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

   ³²And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

   ³³And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

   ³⁴A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

   ³⁵And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

   ³⁶And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

   ³⁷And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

   ³⁸And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

   ³⁹And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.

   ⁴⁰And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.

   ⁴¹And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

   ⁴²And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

   ⁴³And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

---

Matthew 21

   ¹And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

   ²Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

   ³And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

   ⁴All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

   ⁵Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

   ⁶And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

   ⁷And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

   ⁸And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

   ⁹And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

   ¹⁰And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

   ¹¹And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

   ¹²And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

   ¹³And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

   ¹⁴And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

   ¹⁵And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,

   ¹⁶And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

   ¹⁷And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

   ¹⁸Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

   ¹⁹And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

   ²⁰And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

   ²¹Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

   ²²And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Posted via email from ..................The Last Call Digest

Daily Leadership: Do you guard and guide those on the team you lead? (159-1)

Do you guard and guide those on the team you lead? (159-1)

Written by Barry-Werner on January 31st, 2011. Posted in Courage/Risk-Taking, Exhortation, Jeremiah, Leadership Principles, Old Testament, Relationships.

Every effective leader will serve in the role of watchman at times and sound the alarm for their team when they see trouble ahead. Read Jeremiah 6:16-19.

Jeremiah was described in verse 17 as a watchman. By definition a watchman guards and patrols. The people of Judah had determined not to follow God’s laws or principles and Jeremiah sounded a warning to those living in error. Jeremiah illustrated the leader’s job as a watchman when God asked him to guard or patrol the covenant established between Him and the people.

Serving in the watchman role is not easy. There are no guaranteed results for watchmen. Jeremiah served well as a watchman, but he never convinced the masses to get on board with the right results. Jeremiah became an isolated leader and a lone voice for God’s standard. Leaders will always be faced with the temptation to forego doing what is right to retain members of their team.

Leaders serving in the role of watchman guard and guide those they lead. They guard against those that would change the vision. They monitor quality control to insure there is no slippage in quality to save cost or increase profit margins. They keep the team focused on the organization’s core values. They guide those they oversee insuring morale and relationships are what they need to be for success. They watch out for financial danger ahead and insure accurate budgets and accountability against the budget. They sound the alarm against those that would drift from the vision. Watchmen must possess strong moral fiber and must remain committed to a strong sense of what is right and wrong.

There are leaders whose primary role is serving as the watchman but every leader must develop and exercise some watchman skills. Do you willingly step up to the role of watchman when you see issues that call for correction or exhortation? Wise leaders understand the importance of this vital part of leadership.

Proverbs 27:23-24tlb “Riches can disappear fast. And the king’s crown doesn’t stay in his family forever – so watch your business interests closely. Know the state of your flocks and your herds.”

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DailyHope: Face Reality, Then Choose Faith

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Tuesday, February 01, 2011 Face Reality, Then Choose Faith by Rick Warren “Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly a terrible storm came up, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.” Matthew 8:23-24 (NLT) "The question is how can we keep from worrying when life is overwhelming and it feels like God is slow in answering?" Today’s devotional is by Tom Holladay, teaching pastor at Saddleback Church and author of ‘The Relationship Principles of Jesus.’ If you are going to deal with worry and anxiety, the first thing you have to do is face reality. In Matthew 8, we see the reality of the situation that Jesus and the disciples faced. What they went through shows us the reality of what we have to face when life doesn’t go the way we plan. They faced a sudden storm. This is a picture for us of unexpected problems. We often don’t know what direction a problem is going to come from or where we will be when it hits. If you build your life around the belief that you’ll be okay this year as long as nothing goes wrong, you’re going to lose. Because something will always go wrong. They faced waves. Waves in our life are overwhelming circumstances. For the disciples, the waves in the midst of the storm were higher than their boat. They had overwhelming circumstances. And the same thing happens to us. A storm hits our life and the circumstances of it leave us wondering, “How am I going to face that?” They had a boat. This is a picture for us of inadequate resources. The boat wasn’t big enough to hold the waves that were coming. We face the same situation. If only we had all the money in the world, then everything would be fine. But we don’t. If only we had all the time in the world, then everything would be fine. But we don’t. That’s just reality, and saying anything else is a lie. Jesus was asleep in the boat. Here were the disciples in the midst of a storm and almost ready to drown, and Jesus, the one they knew could make a difference, was asleep. This is a picture of how many of us feel when we are facing a genuine problem in life. We don’t know what to do or where to turn, and we know God knows what we’re going through. The worse it gets, the more we wonder, “God, where are you in all of this? Why don’t you do something to change the situation?” The question is how can we keep from worrying when life is overwhelming and it feels like God is slow in answering? Anxiety wears you out and it shortens your life, but if you have no other answers, you are going to keep worrying. Many people think the answer to worry is to somehow pretend that there is nothing to worry about. But the only way to deal with worry effectively is to face reality and then choose to face reality with faith. Missed out on one of the Daily Devotionals? View the online archives. Did someone forward this Daily Devotional to you? Get your own free subscription to The Purpose Driven Connection Daily Devotional, your daily inspiration via email. Follow Us: Follow Pastor Rick on facebook and Twitter. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. http://profile.purposedriven.com/managesubscriptionssimple.aspx?eid=868D6B6

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TheBigPicture: "Job Gets the Point: God Is in Control"

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February 1

Job Gets the Point: God Is in Control

Job 40; 42; Psalm 18:4-6; Proverbs 5:1,3-4

Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said:
"Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
Then Job answered the LORD and said:
"Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
"Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me:
"Would you indeed annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with a voice like His?
Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.
"Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
Then Job answered the LORD and said:
"I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?'
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me.'
"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes."
 
And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has."

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had accepted Job. And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.

Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days.

Job 40; 42

WORSHIP

The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
Psalm 18:4-6

WISDOM

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,
For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Proverbs 5:1, 3-4

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Daily Light: "Whom having not seen, ye love."

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February 1
MORNING

Whom having not seen, ye love. 

We walk by faith, not by sight. -- We love him, because he first loved us. -- And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. -- In whom ye trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. --  God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. -- Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.    

I PET. 1:8.   II Cor. 5:7. ‑I John 4:19.  ‑I John 4:16. -Eph. l:13. -Col. 1:27. I John 4:20. John 20:29. ‑Psa. 2:12.

EVENING

The Lord Our Righteousness.

We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. -- I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him. -- To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ... that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

JER. 23:6.  Isa. 64:6. Psa. 71:16. ‑Isa. 61:10. Luke 15:22. ‑Rev. 19:8. Phi. 3:8,9.

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ProverbialDevotions: "For the Kingdom of God is ... living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Devotionals by Proverbs 31 Ministries

The Blessed Life

Rachel Olsen

Friday, January 28, 2011

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 "For the Kingdom of God is ... living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17 (NLT)         

 

Devotion:
With each passing year I grow ever more convinced that the life of faith is a life characterized by peace and joy.

Sure it's a life of goodness as well, that's practically a no-brainer. Ask anyone what religion or Christianity specifically is about, and you're likely to hear, "Being good." But being good is not the sum total of it.

In fact, simply being good—doing what is morally right—absent of a peaceful trust in God and a joyful appreciation of Him can become legalism. And few things upset Jesus more than the legalism of the religious leaders of His day.

Legalism is living a life of rules with little room for the very thing Jesus affords us: grace. It's characterized by self-striving. In my book, "It's No Secret," I share how easily I can overlook the fact that no matter what rules we happen to keep - or fail to keep - God provides His people with grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace and joy.

Some may say that if I am experiencing more peace and joy it's because I'm being increasingly good. That it's because I'm being obedient and doing all the right things—praying more, trusting God more, walking in a manner worthy of my calling, and so forth. Well, yes. And, no.

I've come to realize that I have no real right to extra peace or happiness just because I pause to talk with God. I have no entitlement to contentment or joy just because I submit to His commands. I pray and obey simply because God is God, and I am not. He is the creator of my life. He holds the patent. And I'm created for His pleasure.

Yet in His gracious, extravagant kindness, He has made it so that when I pray rather than worry, I experience peace. When I gratefully accept what He has given me, and do not wish and whine for more, I find contentment. When I give away what I have, so often I get joy in return. And when I look steadily on Him all these blessings come into view.

Hannah Whitall Smith writes:

"This blessed life must not be looked upon in any sense as an attainment but as an obtainment. We cannot earn it; we cannot climb up to it; we cannot win it; we can do nothing but ask for it and receive it. It is the gift of God in Christ Jesus. And where a thing is a gift, the only course left for the receiver is to take it and thank the giver."

Simply because He is good, peace, contentment and joy are available to us regardless of our position, possessions, performance or circumstances. It's His loving kindness and the empowerment of His Spirit that makes living in the kingdom of God a life of goodness, peace and joy.

And that, my Yahweh Sister, is a blessed life -a gift. It's what life in the Kingdom looks like. Let's share that gift by introducing others to its Source.

Dear Lord, thank You for the grace afforded me. I so desperately need it, and I so deeply appreciate it. Please blanket me in the blessing of Your presence and guide me in Your will. Let me walk in goodness, peace and joy today, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

To learn more about living as a modern woman in the Kingdom of God, get a copy of Rachel's book It's No Secret: Revealing Divine Truths Every Woman Should Know

Visit Rachel's blog today for a chance to win a copy of her book It's No Secret.

Application Steps:  
Pause and thank the Giver!

Allow your God-given blessings to come into view.

Reflections:  
Would those who know me best use the words "goodness," "peace," or "joy" to describe my life?

What can I do to set my mind on peace and joy today?

Power Verses: 
Luke 17:20-21, "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, 'The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst.'" (NIV)

Isaiah 55:12, "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (NIV)

Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (NIV)

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GodCalling: "Take courage"

February 1 - Another Start 

Take courage. Do not fear. Start a new life tomorrow. Put the old mistakes away, and start anew. I give you a fresh start. Be not burdened. Be not anxious. If My forgiveness were for the righteous only, and those who had not sinned, where would be its need?

Remember as I said, "To whom much is forgiven, the same loveth much."

Why do you fret and worry so? I wait to give you all that is lovely, but your lives are soiled with worry and fret. You would crush My treasures. I can only bless glad, thankful hearts.

You must be glad and joyful.

"This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,
 and reaching forth unto those things which are before." Philippians 3:13

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A.W.Tozer: "IF JESUS CAME TODAY"

 

 

IF JESUS CAME TODAY

People have asked me if our present generation would gladly accept Jesus if He came at this time, instead of 2,000 years ago. I have to believe that history does repeat itself! In our own day, many who want to follow the Christian traditions still balk and reject a thorough-going spiritual housecleaning within their own lives.

When Jesus came, many realized that it would mean probable financial loss for them to step out and follow Christ. Also, many of those men and women who considered the claims of Christ in His day knew that following Him would call for abrupt and drastic changes in their patterns of living.

The proud and selfish aspects of their lives would have been disturbed. Beyond that, there was an almost complete disdain for the inward spiritual life which Jesus taught as a necessity for mankind; that it is the pure in heart who will see God! I am afraid that humanity's choice would still be the same today. People are still more in love with money and pride and pleasure than they are with God and His salvation!

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StreamsintheDesert: "The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and storm"

"The Fruit Comes Afterward" - Streams in the Desert - Feb. 1

February 1

The Fruit Comes Afterward

"The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and storm" (Nahum 1:3).

I recollect, when a lad, and while attending a classical institute in the vicinity of Mount Pleasant, sitting on an elevation of that mountain, and watching a storm as it came up the valley. The heavens were filled with blackness, and the earth was shaken by the voice of thunder. It seemed as though that fair landscape was utterly changed, and its beauty gone never to return.

But the storm swept on, and passed out of the valley; and if I had sat in the same place on the following day, and said, "Where is that terrible storm, with all its terrible blackness?" the grass would have said, "Part of it is in me," and the daisy would have said, "Part of it is in me," and the fruits and flowers and everything that grows out of the ground would have said, "Part of the storm is incandescent in me."

Have you asked to be made like your Lord? Have you longed for the fruit of the Spirit, and have you prayed for sweetness and gentleness and love? Then fear not the stormy tempest that is at this moment sweeping through your life. A blessing is in the storm, and there will be the rich fruitage in the "afterward." 
--Henry Ward Beecher

***

The flowers live by the tears that fall 
From the sad face of the skies; 
And life would have no joys at all, 
Were there no watery eyes. 
Love thou thy sorrow: grief shall bring 
Its own excuse in after years; 
The rainbow!--see how fair a thing 
God hath built up from tears. 
--Henry S. Sutton

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MikeMacIntosh: "Do you ever feel like you're fighting a battle"

Today's Devotion

From Mike MacIntosh

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.
Judges 3:31

Do you ever feel like you're fighting a battle, outnumbered and outsized by a host of armed opponents, with no better weapon than a shovel? I'm sure Shamgar must have felt that way. Maybe you've never heard of him; after all, he's only mentioned in this single verse of the Bible. But the Lord would use this man in a powerful, if unexpected, way.

Probably a farmer, Shamgar's name is literally translated "sword." But in battle against the Philistines, this farmer did not use a sword--or any military weapon--to fight. Instead, he used an average farming tool called an ox goad. Much like a cattle prod, it was about eight feet long and had a sharp metal point on one end, with a shovel on the other. It allowed a farmer to either clean things off, dig a hole, or poke an ox to get him moving along the road. And with this measly little tool, Shamgar single-handedly killed 600 enemy warriors. He didn't have swords, spears, knives, or hand grenades; he only had a single ox goad. But this guy was a farm boy who knew how to work with the tools he had--and that's all God wanted from him.

E.M. Bounds once said, "The world is looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men." Shamgar overcame the enemy, even though his methods and his resources were limited. Don't get hung up on always looking for the best methods, or resources, or people, to get further in life. It's not about any of that--it's about being obedient and faithful to God with whatever He has given you. When the Lord commands you to stand up and fight for Him, and you're standing there with nothing but an ox goad, say, "Okay Lord, this is all I've got; I'll do whatever you want me to do with it." Just take what God has given you and let Him take you in His hand with power.

Give whatever tools you have to the Lord and do like this man, Shamgar; stand your ground courageously and trust God to use what's in your hand to accomplish great things for His glory.

"What is a feeble instrument in the hands of one man is a mighty instrument in the hands of another; simply because the spirit of that other brooms with holy determination to accomplish the work that has to be done." - Joseph Parker

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