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Showing posts from April, 2012

What Did You Say?

April 30, 2012 Mary Southerland Today's Truth "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver" ( Proverbs 25:11 ). Friend to Friend Fruit is one of my favorite foods. When I go grocery shopping, it always takes me longer to get through the fruit section than any other area of the store.I spend what some might consider a ridiculously long time picking out what I hope will be the juiciest apples, the plumpest grapes and sweetest bananas. Experience has taught me to quickly discard any piece of fruit that is bruised, mushy or discolored. I shake cantaloupe and thump watermelons. Ripe strawberries have a unique sweet scent and only the reddest cherries will do. Plums and tomatoes must be firm to the touch, bright in color and wrinkle-free while the more wrinkles the better when it comes to choosing passion fruit. On a recent trip to the grocery store, I was carefully making my fruit selections when the thought occurred to me that I spend more time

Escape the Guilt Trap

By Dr. Charles Stanley Introduction:   How often do you commit a sin, and then fail to find a way to move past the regret and shame you feel? Most people wrestle with guilt from time to time. The dictionary defines guilt as 1.) "the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, esp. against moral or penal law" and 2.) "a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined."1 In other words, guilt has two components—the actual offense and the feelings that accompany it.2 A. Handling our Guilt.   Once we start to feel remorseful about our wrongdoing, we often fail to respond to our guilt in a healthy manner. Read   Psalm 38:4   and   Proverbs 28:17 . How does the Bible characterize guilt? How do you typically handle feelings of guilt? B. The Purpose of Guilt.   Guilt is actually a God-given emotion. It has at least three functions: to prompt us to ask for forgiveness from those we

Going Against the Flow

April 28, 2012 Read | Psalm 62:1-6 A majority may rule in this world, but in your personal life, one Person rules--and that's God. It makes no difference if 10,000 people tell you what you ought to do. Once you have decided to follow the Lord, it's best to stand right where you are until you get marching orders from Him. Does this mean we should never take godly counsel? No, it doesn't. It simply means that when we know God hasn't said "Move," we should not yield to the temptation to please others by following their directives for us. In other words, while seeking scriptural advice, believers should also listen for the Holy Spirit's promptings and warnings. For example, when dealing with your children, you may sense there's a time to bring up an issue and a time to hold off (Eccl. 3:7b). Sometimes, however, a fear of failure may discourage us from doing things God's way, making us think, What if things don't turn out the way we planne

Leer y orar

Leer hoy: Hechos 13:1-25, 13:26-52; Josué 18,19,20,21; Job 29,30. Pido oración por mi hermano Hernan Correa por su dolor de espalda. Pido por el cumpleaños de mi Tia Siqui, gloria a Dios por este año. Pido oración por la familia mi Tio Lalo falleció el día de ayer. Por mis jóvenes que están en finales que recuerden lo estudiado. Por un amigo de la infancia Joel Jimenez problemas personales. Por las Iglesias. Mas bien, al vivir la verdad con amor, Efesios 4:15. Orar sin cesar!! Dios los bendiga!! Amen!!

Oración que poderosa es!!

Y la oración de fe salvará al enfermo, y el Señor lo levantará; y si hubiere cometido pecados, le serán perdonados. Confesaos vuestras ofensas unos a otros, y orad unos por otros, para que seáis sanados. La oración eficaz del justo puede mucho. (SANTIAGO 5:15, 16 RVR60)

The Unpayable Debt

Billy Graham's Daily Devotion Who gave himself for our sins . . . –Galatians 1:4 Years ago King Charles V was loaned a large sum of money by a merchant in Antwerp. The note came due, but the king was bankrupt and unable to pay. The merchant gave a great banquet for the King. When all the guests were seated and before the food was brought in, the merchant had a large platter placed on the table and a fire lighted on it. Then, taking the note out of his pocket, he held it in the flames until it was burned to ashes. The king threw his arms around his benefactor and wept. Just so, we have been mortgaged to God. The debt was due, but we were unable to pay. Two thousand years ago God invited the world to the Gospel feast, and in the agonies of the cross, God held your sins and mine until every last vestige of our guilt was consumed. PRAYER FOR THE DAY In gratitude I kneel before You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Healer of the Broken

April 27, 2012 Gwen Smith Today's Truth "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3 Friend to Friend I love my girlfriends. I love doing life with friends who "get me." I love having tangles of conversations over hot coffee that are stranded together with light-hearted laughter, rich revelations, loads of love, treasures of time and gobs of grace. Though sharing beautiful life-moments is always fun, some of the most powerful blessings of friendship for me have been found in broken places. In the trenches. Those places where our troubles and fears scream loudly and long to be quieted by the understanding heart of a friend. Times when we rise up to encourage one another with God's promises, share reminders of His truth, extend challenges to believe, offer prayers for problems and speak hope to a sister who's hurting. A few years ago, after a long conversation with a girlfriend who was in a painfully broken place, I w

This is Discipling

Sé que a  muchos se les ha olvidado lo que es Discipulado. Simplemente porque ya no lo hacen, prefieren un espectáculo, en vez de la enseñanza. Las prioridades personales están cambiando la perspectiva Principal de la Iglesia de Cristo y queremos ser Dios y no imitar a Jesús. Tu hermano que miras este video. ¿Que estamos haciendo mal? ¿Porque no me siento lleno donde estoy?. Estaré siguiendo lo que dice el hombre y no la palabra de Dios.. Examínate Hermano ya es tiempo de hacerlo BIEN..!

Leer hoy

Leer hoy: Hechos 11:1-18; 11:19-30; 12; Josué 11,12,13,14,15,16,17; Job 26,27,28. Con estos versículos estamos cubiertos hasta el domingo. Pero los que son de Cristo han crucificado la carne con (GÁLATAS 5:24) Pido oración por mi Tio Tono dolor en su pierna. Pido por buenos cambios en este país. Por el crecimiento de la Iglesia . Pido por el pueblo de Dios, Israel. Por algún enfermo y por peticiones personales. Pido por mis jóvenes. Orar sin cesar !! Dios les bendiga!! Feliz fin de semana.. Amen!!

The Spiritual Fruit of Patience

April 27, 2012 Read | Romans 5:1-4 The list called "fruit of the Spirit" includes "patience" (Gal. 5:22-23), but that doesn't mean the Holy Spirit wills it into the believer's life. Instead, He acts as our ever-dependable teacher and the one who enables our growth. Spiritual fruit matures over time as we obey the Lord and surrender to His will. Patience with both God and our fellow man is an outgrowth of deepening faith. The Holy Spirit urges believers to take note of the Lord's handiwork on the journey through life. Our confidence in Him is nurtured by answered prayer, the rich blessings that arise unexpectedly from difficult circumstances, and every trace of good that God salvages from a bad situation. As our trust in His goodness and sovereignty grows, we find ourselves more willing to wait for God's solutions and outcomes. In fact, I believe that recognizing God's sovereignty is key to developing patience. A significant part of surr

The Good-O-Meter

The Trash

U.S. News - Unborn baby shot in Los Angeles riots 'I'm still here'

Can we really trust God?

April 26th 2012 Mary Southerland Today's Truth Romans 8:28 (NIV) "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Friend to Friend A daughter was telling her mother how everything was going wrong. "I am failing Algebra. My boyfriend just broke up with me, and my best friend is moving away," she wailed. Her mom listened patiently and then asked, "I made a cake for dinner. Would you like a snack?" The girl grinned and said, "Sure, Mom. I love your cake." The mom smiled and asked, "How about some cooking oil?" The daughter looked surprised at the offer and responded with a loud "Yuk!" The mom tried again, "How about a couple of raw eggs?" With a look of confusion, the daughter said, "Gross, Mom!" With a smile, the mother offered, "Would you like some flour or maybe a cup of baking soda?" The daughter responded

Our Rapid Response: Prayer

Listen now | Comment | Tell a Friend | Donate     Hebrew Word of the Day nolad (birth) Hear Translation » April 26, 2012 "In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover’." — 2 Kings 20:1 The Bible tells us that King Hezekiah was close to death. Isaiah the prophet came to visit but only brought terrible news – Hezekiah was going to die soon and he should get his affairs in order. Upon hearing this news, Hezekiah immediately cried out to God, beseeching God to remember his faithfulness and good deeds. Then Hezekiah “ wept bitterly. ” How did God respond to the king’s anguished prayer? Remarkably, He gave Hezekiah 15 more years to live. What right did Hezekiah have to pray to God after Isaiah prophesied that he would die, the rabbis asked. The answer lies in a teachi

Leer hoy

Leer hoy: Hechos 10:34-48; Josué 9,10; Job 25. Por tanto, nosotros todos, mirando a cara descubierta como en un espejo la gloria del Señor,(2 CORINTIOS 3:18). Orar sin cesar!! Dios los bendiga!! Ya son 115 días leyendo la palabra de Dios ! Gloria a Dios!! Gracias por sus oraciones ayer Tio Paco se fue a la presencia de Dios y pudo aceptar a Dios a tiempo. No esperes al final para aceptar a Dios y cambiar tu vida este es el momento de hacerlo tenemos que congregarnos esta en la Biblia!! Dios te proteja!! Amen!!

Developing Patience

April 26, 2012 Read | James 1:1-4 When people confide to me that they are praying for patience, I often ask what else they're doing to acquire a calm and gentle heart. Patience isn't so much something believers receive as it is an attribute that they develop over time and through experience. Think of patience as a muscle that you have to use in order to see it build. To that end, believers should recognize difficulty as an opportunity to flex their patience. The human instinct is to cry out to God in bewilderment when tribu-lation comes knocking. We blame. We resist. We complain. What we don't do is say, "Thank You, Father--it's time to grow in patience!" People aren't trained to think that way, but according to the Bible, that is exactly how Christians are to respond. James tells us to consider trials a joy (1:2). But we often fail at this, don't we? Humanly speaking, praising the Lord for tribulation is unnatural. However, doing so begins t

To Speak or Not To Speak…that is the Question

April 25, 2012 Sharon Jaynes Today's Truth "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…a time to be silent and a time to speak," ( Ecclesiastes 3:1 , 7 ). Friend to Friend When Steven was about seven-years-old, we went snow skiing. For hours I instructed him in how to stand up, ski down, and get up once he fell. Steven fell down, and fell down, and fell down. He was not getting the hang of it at all. What's the problem , I wondered. Then I found out. It was me. "Mom," Steven cried, "If you just quit telling me what to do, I think I could get it." "Fine!" I said as I skied away in frustration. "Go ahead and do it your way!" And you know what? He did. Thirty minutes later Steven was cruising down the slopes with ease. See I was the problem. My continual instruction was hindering Steven from working the maneuvers out on his own. The day started out being a skiing lesson for Steven, but

Bright Smiles for Nepal

Following God's Schedule

April 25, 2012 Romans 11:33-36 Most of us enjoy feeling in control of our own schedule and grow frustrated when things don't go according to plan. Yet if we truly desire to walk in the center of God's perfect will, we must become willing to cooperate with His time frame. Consider how you pray about situations in your life. Without realizing it, you may be demanding that God follow the schedule you've constructed according to your very limited human wisdom. Yet if we believe He is who He says He is, how can surrendering to His way not be to our benefit? Think about His unique, praiseworthy qualities: His all-encompassing knowledge. Unlike us, the Lord has complete awareness about our world and the details of every individual life--past, present, and future. His complete wisdom. God understands man's every motive, whereas none of us are able to accurately discern people's intentions. We make choices based on partial information, whereas He has the wisd

Reverendfun

Leer hoy

Leer hoy: Hechos 9:26-43,10:1-33; Josué 5:2-15,6,7,8; Job 23,24. Pido oracion para un ser, discipulo de Dios, que un dia como hoy abrio sus ojos. Gracias al divino creador. Que Dios te bendiga, Tania mi hija. El hacer tu voluntad, Dios mío, me ha agradado, SALMOS 40:8. Orar sin cesar! Dios los bendiga!! Gracias por sus oraciones! Amen!!

Learning From Failure

April 24, 2012 Luke 22:31-34 The disciple Peter was a man of great faith and bold action. But as readers of the New Testament know, his brash style sometimes led him to make humiliating mistakes. More than once, this disciple had to wear the label of "miserable failure" rather than that of "obedient servant." We can all relate when it comes to falling short of expectations. Obedience to God is a learning process, and failure is a part of our development as humble servants. When we yield to temptation or rebel against God's authority, we realize that sin has few rewards, and even those are fleeting. Failure is an excellent learning tool, as Peter could certainly attest. Through trial and error, he discovered that humility is required of believers (John 13:5-14); that God's ways are higher than the world's ways (Mark 8:33); and that one should never take his eyes off Jesus (Matt. 14:30). He took each of those lessons to heart and thereby

Storms are for our Good

April 24, 2012 Mary Southerland Today's Truth Psalm 46:1 (NRSV) "God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble." Friend to Friend While vacationing in the mountains, a man watched as a lumberman occasionally jabbed his sharp hook into a log, separating it from the others floating down the mountain stream. The man asked the lumberman why he was separating some of the logs. The worker replied, "These logs may all look alike to you but a few of them are very different. The ones I let pass are from trees that grew in the valley. They were always protected from the storms. Their grain is coarse. The ones I have hooked and set apart from the rest came from high up on the mountains. From the time they were small, they were beaten by strong winds. That toughens the trees and gives them a fine and beautiful grain. They are too good to use for plain lumber so we save them for our best work." I don't like storms. Blue skies and bright s

Leer hoy

Leer hoy: Hechos 8:26-40; 9:1-25; Josué 1,2,3,4; 5:1; Job21,22. Como bien saben, ustedes fueron rescatados de la vida absurda que heredaron de sus antepasados: 1 Pedro 1:18-19. Gloria a Dios!!! Orar sin cesar!! Amen!!!

Quieres ser bendecido??

Sin falta le darás, y no serás de mezquino corazón cuando le des; porque por ello te bendecirá Jehová tu Dios en todos tus hechos, y en todo lo que emprendas. Porque no faltarán menesterosos en medio de la tierra; por eso yo te mando, diciendo: Abrirás tu mano a tu hermano, al pobre y al menesteroso en tu tierra. (DEUTERONOMIO 15:10, 11 RVR60)

Vandals Destroy

Dear Jorge, The Israel haters are not an ocean away. They are right here in own backyard. We experienced this personally on Monday when vandals destroyed a CUFI billboard outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico purchased and placed by local CUFI members. The way we respond to this attack will define us as people and as an organization. Will we back down? Will we get angry? Or will we rededicate ourselves to sharing our message? This last option is the Christian answer. We must respond by speaking out undeterred! We must respond by building CUFI! Please help us demonstrate loudly and clearly that we will not be silenced. Please help us turn what was meant for evil into something positive! Please help us respond to this attack with more billboards, more pro-Israel events, and more CUFI members! Click here to make a contribution to our ongoing efforts to educate Christians across America — and our leaders in Washington — about the need to stand with our ally Israel. Blessings to y

My Brother's Keeper

Listen now | Comment | Tell a Friend | Donate     Hebrew Word of the Day Lashon Hakodesh (Holy Tongue) Hear Translation » April 23, 2012 "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?" — Proverbs 24:11–12 Raoul Wallenberg came from a wealthy and famous Swedish family. When the Nazis started rounding up Jews in Hungary, Wallenberg went to Budapest as a diplomat to hand out Swedish citizenship papers to thousands of Jews. More than 400,000 Jews had already been deported to Auschwitz, but 200,000 remained in Budapest, so Wallenberg acted swiftly and fearlessly. He even chased down deportation trains, pulled Jews off, and declared them Swedish subjects under his diplomatic protection. The Nazis weren’t sure how t