Author Topic: The Devotionals Thread  (Read 244766 times)

Migs

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #50 on: July 15, 2006, 06:43:13 PM »
{lol} That's OK BeachBum. When you're ready to understand it, ...you will  :-*

i hate when people say that

Dos Equis

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #51 on: July 16, 2006, 02:53:13 AM »
i hate when people say that

  ;D  It's a copout when they can't address the merits. 

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #52 on: July 16, 2006, 04:47:54 PM »
We manifest the realities to which we give the most energy, conscious or not, positive or negative.
Our futures are malleable to the extent that our consciousness and choices can change those realities in an instant of clear intent.

Hope That Clarifies,  :)
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Dos Equis

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #53 on: July 16, 2006, 09:54:13 PM »
We manifest the realities to which we give the most energy, conscious or not, positive or negative.
Our futures are malleable to the extent that our consciousness and choices can change those realities in an instant of clear intent.

Hope That Clarifies,  :)


lol.  Clear as mud.   :)

24KT

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #54 on: July 17, 2006, 12:52:07 AM »
{lol} That's OK Beachbum. When you're ready to understand it, ...you will.  ;)  :-*
w

Dos Equis

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #55 on: July 17, 2006, 10:51:57 AM »
{lol} That's OK Beachbum. When you're ready to understand it, ...you will.  ;)  :-*

I doubt it.  I don't speak or understand gibberish.   :)

Colossus_500

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #56 on: July 17, 2006, 01:30:52 PM »
1 Corinthians 1-4

1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

From Oswald Chambers'  "My Utmost For His Highest"

Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.

Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— ". . . as though God were pleading through us . . ." ( 2 Corinthians 5:20  ). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.

"And I, if I am lifted up. . . , will draw all peoples to Myself" ( John 12:32  ).

24KT

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #57 on: July 18, 2006, 11:40:33 PM »
On Seeking the Truth

"People claim to be seeking the truth, but it would be more accurate to say they are seeking only something that suits them. Moreover, when they encounter the truth and it fails to correspond to their desires, they say: ‘No, no, you aren’t what I need’, and they turn away. The truth they seek must give them the means to satisfy their lusts and ambitions, and this explains why they never find it. They do everything in their power not to find it! If they truly wanted to find the truth, they would have found it long ago, and they can still easily find it today. They can see, hear and touch it everywhere, but only if they do not expect it to meet their limited notions and selfish needs."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
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Colossus_500

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #58 on: July 19, 2006, 06:35:21 AM »
Ravi Zacharias is one of my favorite Christian authors and orators for defending the faith of God.

A Slice of Infinity
by Jill Carattini
Dream House

For the past week, I have been having the same conversation each morning with a spider on my front porch. Like a parent to a teenager with a messy room, my reiterated words don't seem to be making much of a difference. But I'm not asking my eight-legged friend to clean his room; I'm asking him to move it.

Every morning on my way to the car I walk through a nearly invisible strand of his web. The problem (besides having to brush the spider web off of myself) is that it is a vital piece of his web. It is the strand of webbing that serves as an anchor for his well-crafted house. On the days that I remember to look for it, I manage to duck under it before hurrying through the walkway. But though this solves my sticky situation, it does not solve his. For if I haven't caused his residence to collapse by walking through it, I have demolished his dwelling by driving away with its support beam. He has anchored his brilliant masterwork to the car am I about to remove from the driveway.

I have tried to be patient. I feel really bad as I drive away knowing that I have entirely destroyed his night's work, before I have even taken a sip of my morning coffee. I have reminded him that anchoring his web to an object that moves is futile (and no doubt incredibly frustrating to the architect). Yet so it goes each day. I drive away, and he finds himself needing to rebuild once again.

When Jesus spoke of well-built houses, it is interesting that he made it a point to point out the obvious. Build a house on shifting sands and it, too, will shift until it is completely destroyed. The illustration is as clear as it is true; a house is only as good as its foundation.

You would think that the poor, persistent spider on my front porch would have learned his lesson by now. But in fact he has only slightly altered his house plans each time--attaching his web to the mirror on my car or the windshield wiper instead of the driver's door. I can only hope one day he will learn. But then, Jesus's obvious words confront me, and I find myself wondering: Have I learned?

When I build my life around pursuits that suddenly shift, do I pick up and redraw the plans, taking into account all that shifted? Or do I simply pick myself up, cut my losses, and start once again? When my longing for a beautiful house gives me a mortgage I can't afford, when my hope for the next best thing is ever being replaced by the next best thing, when I have built my life upon the satisfaction of a successful career or great kids or a solid marriage and suddenly life shifts with blow of uncertainty, what have I learned?

It is a lesson easier illustrated than understood. For more often it seems I am like the spider, intent on making my dream house work, willing to alter my plans only slightly, concerning myself with the busywork of building. It is easy to be so determined in the life we are constructing that a shifting foundation is viewed merely as a temporary set back, when in fact we are building our lives upon that which is temporary--health, careers, cars in the driveway.

Thankfully, God is not only more patient than I have been with my spider, but also more compelling than I have been in encouraging those He longs to see in the security of a well-built home. With long-suffering love for us, He picks us up when our dream houses have crumbled and shows us that we were meant to dream of unshakable fortresses. He stands at ground zero and gives us the grace and the strength to rebuild.

We are building well, God says, when we hear his words and put them into practice. For to build on the enduring words of God is to build lives that model their Creator, trusting that He is the holder of the best plans for the house. His words are like his character, lighting our way, standing forever, moving us to that place of refuge. The Father "does not change like the shifting shadows," writes James (1:17). He is, as David praised, and Hannah prayed, and saints continue to discover somewhere in the process of rebuilding, the Rock of Ages.


Jill Carattini is senior associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.



© 2006 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

Colossus_500

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #59 on: July 21, 2006, 07:53:53 AM »
Beautiful Words!!!  This is a song from FFH's new album: Voice From Home.  The whole album is as if God is speaking to us.  The name of this song is Grand Canyon:

Grand Canyon

There’s a space in between us
Things just aren’t, they aren’t the same
In your heart there’s an aching
And you can’t see through the pain

I would run to your rescue
But you can’t see through your pain

So I’m reaching across the Grand Canyon
Hoping you will take my hand
Wondering why you’re just not listening
So for the time being
I’ll just keep on reaching for you

There’s a thorn you’ve been holding
And you can’t, you can’t let it go
I wish that I could stop the bleeding
But you won’t, you won’t let it show

I can’t wrestle with your demons
If you never let me see them

So I’m reaching across the Grand Canyon
Hoping you will take my hand
Wondering why you’re just not listening
So for the time being
I’ll just keep on reaching for you

To come back to your senses again
And hear me calling
Calling…calling

There’ll come a day when we’ll be together
All your tears will be wiped away
On that day I’ll hold you so tightly
All this pain will just melt away

24KT

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #60 on: July 24, 2006, 01:02:44 AM »
On Belief in God

"Whether we are believers or non-believers, we all have our existence in God, and God lives within us. The difference is that believers are conscious of this and the others are not. The non-believer endlessly accumulates shields in himself until he no longer feels anything. And since what people do not feel does not exist for them, the non-believer ends up denying the existence of God. Which in fact is absolutely true: under these conditions God does not exist, while for someone who believes in him, God exists. But most often this belief is not yet fully conscious. In order for it to become so, the believer must come to feel that God lives in him and that he lives in God, so that he forms a unity with God that is absolutely indissoluble. At this point, nothing can ever cause him to doubt again, for he lives the divine life without interruption. He is plunged in it and it flows through him, permeating his entire being."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #61 on: July 24, 2006, 11:44:51 AM »
Monday, July 24, 2006
Charles R. Swindoll


Most of us don't like to contemplate subjects like death — or life after death — until circumstances grab us by the collar and force us to stare the questions in the face.

We lose a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend . . . and suddenly life-and-death issues no longer seem vague and distant. They become very real and must somehow be addressed.

Even more shocking is when the death we contemplate is our own. The doctor calls us back into the office and presents us with facts we don't want to hear and don't know how to handle. A life that seemed somehow interminable — indestructible — is reduced to a matter of months . . . perhaps weeks.

In an instant, issues like "eternal destiny" snap into sharp focus. Suddenly, questions about our soul and salvation seem acutely relevant. Questions we once hesitated to ponder or voice now scream to be answered . . .

"How can I know God in a meaningful way?"
"What must I do to guarantee eternal life with my Maker?"
"Is there some way I can be certain that I will go to heaven?"
"Will you explain in simple, nontechnical terms what it means to be born again?"
"I'm guilty because I haven't lived a clean life. How can the Lord forgive me?"
"I've been a fairly religious person, but I lack a deep and abiding peace with God . . . why?"
"What does the Bible say about life after death?"
"Did Jesus actually die for me?"
"What, exactly, is the gospel?"


Whether or not these questions are verbalized, they are the ones most people think about, especially when death seems near. They are good questions that deserve an answer. They are also searching questions that have to do with an issue of utmost importance—being forgiven and entering into eternal life from God. This is not something that calls for a lot of opinions. Theological double–talk will do nothing to settle our disquieted souls. The insights must come from the Bible. They need to be so clear that anybody can understand them. They also have to make sense.

24KT

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #62 on: July 28, 2006, 01:50:02 AM »
On Maintaining Balance

"Only if our instruments are in good working order can we perceive things clearly and, based on these perceptions, reason correctly. And what are these instruments? The intellect, the heart and the will. We find that in most people these instruments are out of order; as a result of too many shocks, too much tension, emotion and negative influence, the intellect grows dim, the heart loses its warmth, and the will weakens. How can such instruments be trusted? Clearly, we must take it upon ourselves to examine them. What would become of cars, trains & aeroplanes if we never checked their brakes, engines and control panels? But people imagine there is nothing to check in themselves: they are above all that! This explains why they have so many accidents: all their difficulties and misfortunes are caused by malfunctions in their intellect, their heart or their will. From time to time, then, they should ask themselves about the state of these instruments which were given to them so they could think, love and work."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
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Dos Equis

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #63 on: July 28, 2006, 07:52:34 PM »
"It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman."

Solomon in Proverbs 21:19

Sorry, couldn't resist.  Had to do something to counter the Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov psychobabble.
 ;D

24KT

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #64 on: July 29, 2006, 01:32:01 AM »
That's OK Beach Bum. When you're ready to understand it, ...you will.  ;)  :-*

ps - I never thought I'd be so happy about the upcoming blackfly season.
Watch out when skinny dipping in the lake. Wouldn't want the snapping turtles to get you.  ;)
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Dos Equis

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #65 on: July 29, 2006, 10:50:14 AM »
"It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman."

Proverbs 21:9

Hugo Chavez

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #66 on: August 05, 2006, 03:15:31 AM »
Fooie!!!!






Amen ;D

Colossus_500

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #67 on: August 09, 2006, 01:27:01 PM »
The Cost of Being a Disciple

Luke 14:25-35

 25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
 28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

 31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

 34"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
      "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."


"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed.  I have the Holy Spirit power.  The die has been cast.  I have stepped over the line.  The decision has been made-I'm a disciple of His.  I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.  My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.  I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

     I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity.  I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.  I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power."


-A young pastor in Zimbabwe, Africa, later martyred for his faith in Christ

OzmO

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #68 on: August 09, 2006, 04:06:24 PM »
"I like myself uncondtionally"

"I believe"


That's all you really need!

 ;D

24KT

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #69 on: August 09, 2006, 06:01:09 PM »
oh no Ozmo, ...you've joined the ranks of the dark side!
Ya know the ones I'm talking about... those heathens of the ever-changing avatar.  :o
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OzmO

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #70 on: August 09, 2006, 08:37:05 PM »
hehehehe  Jag.

Seriously though, I'm from the school of thought that says: "To believe in your self is to believe in GOD"

24KT

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #71 on: August 10, 2006, 12:19:34 AM »
we're on the same page.  :)
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Colossus_500

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #72 on: August 10, 2006, 06:14:49 AM »
Quote from: OzmO
Seriously though, I'm from the school of thought that says: "To believe in your self is to believe in GOD"
OzmO, I don't understand this statement.  Can you explain in greater detail what this means?

w8tlftr

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #73 on: August 10, 2006, 10:22:55 AM »
OzmO, I don't understand this statement.  Can you explain in greater detail what this means?

I'm curious to see an explanation for this too.


Dos Equis

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Re: The Devotionals Thread
« Reply #74 on: August 10, 2006, 11:49:23 AM »
Ditto.   :)