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VidDevo Today: "A holy God" [VDT-165] Daily Devotional

LAST GENERATION: "Good News" FEATURED DEVOTIONAL #5 Tuesday May 8, 2012 Iyyar 16, 5772

A Precious Treasure

by Joyce Meyer - posted May 08, 2012

All these [gifts, achievements, abilities] are inspired and brought to pass by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, Who apportions to each person individually [exactly] as He chooses. —1 Corinthians 12:11

In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul says, “We possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.” God uses frail people (cracked pots!) to proclaim the power of His gospel.

He could send angels to preach the gospel, but He uses plain, ordinary, everyday people to demonstrate His power. He fills us with divine gifts, inspired and brought to pass by the Holy Spirit, and distributes them throughout His body of believers.

Let us network with God’s people today for the greater good, as we work together to accomplish His purpose.



From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2003 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

LAST GENERATION: "Good News" FEATURED DEVOTIONAL #4 Tuesday May 8, 2012 Iyyar 16, 5772

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"I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours." (John 17:9 NIV)

Jesus reflected the father heart of God when he prayed for the disciples. As a father or mother, you can pray that your children will focus on the five purposes of God.

God's five purposes for your children are the same as God's five purposes for your life. Jesus prayed for all five purposes in the lives of those he was leading: "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours" (John 17:9 NIV).

We can pray that our children will live for Christ joyfully: "I pray these things while I'm still in the world so that they will have the same joy that I have" (John 17:13b GW).

We can pray that our children will grow strong spiritually: "I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one" (John 17:15 NLT).

We can pray that our children will serve Christ effectively: "Make them ready for your service through your truth; your teaching is truth" (John 17:17 NCV).

We can pray that our children will experience fellowship personally: "My prayer is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as You and I are one, Father … and the world will believe You sent Me" (John 17:21 LB).

We can pray that our children will bring others to Christ regularly: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in Me because of their message" (John 17:20 TEV).

Talk About It 

What are ways you can pray your children live for Christ? Grow strong? Serve Christ? Experience fellowship? Bring others to Christ?

 

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and most influential churches. Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." His book, "The Purpose Driven Church," was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also the founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for pastors.

This devotional © 2012 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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LAST GENERATION: "Good News" FEATURED DEVOTIONAL #3 Tuesday May 8, 2012 Iyyar 16, 5772

Searchlight with Pastor Jon Courson

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Daily Devotional
May 8
 
 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 
 Acts 28:3 
 
Sometimes Satan tries to destroy or discourage us with sizable storms. Other times, he uses sneaky little snakes. While Paul was helping people, the snake struck. And you can be sure that’s when the serpent will strike you. When you are helping others, serving others, loving others — from out of the heat of hell, Satan will strike.

Paul, however, would use this opportunity to share the Gospel with these people in a uniquely powerful way. You see, the fallacy of the over-emphasis of the faith movement — the mentality which says we should never be smitten by snakes — is that it robs us of opportunities to share the Gospel. While the Maltese people knew about these snakes, and had watched their families and loved ones succumb to their poison — now they were about to see how Paul would handle the power, the danger, the pain of their venom.

So too, the Lord will allow you to go through difficulties. The doctor may say, ‘It’s inoperable.’ And no matter how you name it and claim it, folks, it may be the Lord’s plan for you to navigate that pain and venom in such a way that those around you who are also losing their loved ones to cancer, will change their minds about Who God is as a result. Jesus said to Thomas, 

not — ‘Watch this miracle’, 
not — ‘'Listen to this sermon’, 
but ‘Touch My wounds’.

The world is rarely impacted and drawn to Jesus Christ through the sight of Christians prospering. No, it’s through seeing believers suffering, but not giving up, that the skeptics change their minds.

Perhaps the most important ministry you’ll ever have is when people see how you react to the pain they go through all of the time. Difficulty is the agent which often allows people an opportunity to see the reality of Jesus Christ most clearly.
 
This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book "A Days Journey" by Pastor Jon. "A Days Journey" is a collection of 365 short devotions from the New Testament.  If you would like your own copy of "A Days Journey" you may click here to go to the SearchLight Store

LAST GENERATION: "Good News" FEATURED DEVOTIONAL #2 Tuesday May 8, 2012 Iyyar 16, 5772

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The Joy of Disciplemaking

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too."
What is a Christian? A Christian is someone who has put his or her faith in Jesus Christ, and Christ alone, as Savior and Lord and God. And according to the apostle Paul, a Christian is someone who has turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (see Acts 26:18).

I think that because we have a lot of anemic, shallow preaching today, we also have a generation of people who think they are Christians but really are not. These are people who have been told to believe, but they never have been told to repent. They have been promised heaven, but they never have been warned of hell. They have been told that God wants them to be happy, but they never have heard that God wants them to be holy. I wonder whether a lot of these people even know what the genuine gospel message is. I read recently that 7 in 10 American adults have no clue what John 3:16 means. And barely one-third of all adults know the meaning of the term, "the gospel."

It is not for me to decide who is a Christian and who is not. That is ultimately up to God. But what we don't need more of today are sort-of Christians. What we need are no-doubt Christians—people about whom you could say, "There is no doubt in my mind that person is a follower of Jesus Christ." The fact is, what is considered as Christianity by many today would not even qualify as such in the first century.

That is where you come in. God wants you to share the gospel and make disciples in your own sphere of influence. This is what the early church did, and the world was a different place because of it.
TODAY'S RADIO PROGRAM:"Christ's Call to Courage — II"
TODAY'S BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 17, Psalm 71,Matthew 26

LAST GENERATION: "Good News" FEATURED DEVOTIONAL #1 Tuesday May 8, 2012 Iyyar 16, 5772


Billy Graham's Daily Devotion 

A Mother's Influence

MAY 8, 2012

Her children arise up, and call her blessed . . . 
–Proverbs 31:28

 

Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children. Someone has said, “Like mother, like children.” Most of the noble characters and fine leaders of history have had good, God-fearing mothers. We are told that George Washington’s mother was pious, and that Sir Walter Scott’s mother was a lover of poetry and music. On the other hand, we are told that Nero’s mother was a murderess and that the dissolute Lord Byron’s mother was a proud and violent woman. The influence of a mother upon the lives of her children cannot be measured. They know and absorb her example and attitudes when it comes to questions of honesty, temperance, kindness, and industry.

 

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Thank You, Lord, for mothers who love You. Their influence is felt around the world.

VidDevo Meditation "In the Light" [VDM-053] A Daily Meditation

THE CHRISTIAN POST: "Front Page" Tuesday May 8, 2012 Iyyar 16, 5772

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