Verse of the Day for August 23, 2009

Verse of the Day for August 23, 2009

Matthew 5:13-15

[Jesus says,] "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? …You are the light of the world -- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket!" (NLT)

Meditation

Salt is useful; it preserves and flavors food. Light is needed by all; without light, there is chaos. You, as a believer, are needed desperately by this world. How have you become salt and light for the world?

Sunday - A Dose of Daily Inspiration - "Capable"

Week of August 23

Capable

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights." Habakkuk 3:19

Despite whatever assignment the Lord sends us on, He makes us capable to thrive amid any circumstance to fulfill His purpose.

Consider Amos. The Bible says, "Amos was a herdsman from the small town of Tekoa; he was not a man of the court like Isaiah, or a priest like Jeremiah. Though he lived in Judah, he was sent to announce God's judgment on the northern kingdom (Israel)."

Imagine being a simple man like Amos and being chosen by God to deliver messages of judgment to priests and kings? How many of us would have the natural confidence to go from the prairie to the palace? (Amos 7:13)

If we are willing to receive them, God will assign us missions to carry out that are bigger than ourselves, ones that require great faith and a big God to complete. But we must trust the power of God.

The very word "capable" means to possess the qualities needed to do a particular thing well; to have the legal competency, ability or legal power to do something. "Capable" is from the Latin word "capere," which means "to take" or "able to take in."

When we break it down, we see that two words make up the word "capable"--"cap" and "able." The word "able" means to be positioned to do something. And the word "cap" means to cover, surpass and complete something. As Christians, with God as our covering, Jesus residing in us and the Holy Spirit guiding us, we are able to complete divine missions on high levels--even ones that will change the course of nations--if we are in position to receive them.

In the case of Amos, God empowered (or made capable) Amos for the purpose of restoring social justice and righteousness to Israel. Although Amos did not consider himself to be a seer prophet (Amos 7:14), God enabled him to see visions and prophesy. The Bible describes Amos as a "vigorous spokesman." Amos was "able to take in" God's visions and speak them out in citadels with great confidence. This simple herdsman and fig farmer was fortified, covered and obedient.
Amos had great faith, which propelled him throughout his great assignment, above his usual position and beyond his usual work environment.

How is God using you? Has He sent you out on any special assignments lately? Would you be willing to go if He spoke to you amid your prairie existence?

The Christian life should be an adventure--full of the unknown, relying upon God to cover and complete us and His missions. Do we have great faith? Are we in position? Are we capable?

Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ. Check out the God's Love at Work 2009 Women's Conference & Expo [http://www.godsloveatwork.com/2009womensexpo] in the Atlanta area on Saturday, November 7.

Sunday - The Sayings of Jesus

John 13:6-20


6) He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" 7) Jesus answered him, " What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand." 8) Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, " If I do not wash you, you have no part in me." 9) Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" 10) Jesus said to him, " He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you." 11) For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, " You are not all clean." 12) When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, " Do you know what I have done to you? 13) You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14) If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15) For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16) Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17) If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18) I am not speaking of you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is that the scripture may be fulfilled, `He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' 19) I tell you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.20) Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me."

Verse of the Day for August 22, 2009

Verse of the Day for August 22, 2009

Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. (NIV)


Meditation
Self-discipline is the ability to voluntarily forego gratification in the present so as to maximize it in the future. What do you want in the future that will require a sacrifice in the present?

Saturday - A Dose of Daily Inspiration - "Workaholics"

August 22-23, 2009

Workaholics
by Charles R. Swindoll

Psalm 90:12

Strange creatures roam the land these days. Being efficient, diligent, and productive, they are remarkably impressive . . . but beneath the surface they are suffering from a miserable malady. Compulsively driven with an obsessive desire to achieve, these creatures give themselves to labor like alcoholics give themselves to booze.

Workaholics. You will find them in every imaginable occupation, and unfortunately, they are usually successful. I say "unfortunately" because success only increases their drive. In sales, they are always at the top. In school, they are always in the books. In sports, they are always in the lead. In subjects, they are always in the know. To these creatures there is one and only one reason for existence---WORK.

This applies even to vacations! Give a workaholic an opportunity to get away for a few days and he will find a dozen logical reasons why it isn't possible. Force him to do so and he will wear himself down planning out each day, each mile, each step of the trip. Once there, he will begin to feel anxious after ten minutes of quiet relaxation. To the workaholic, unplanned moments are lethal . . . rest is senseless . . . enjoyable fun times are "irresponsible activities for children!" With a long, stinging whip, guilt---the inner taskmaster of the workaholic---pounds him into daily submission, whether he is at work, at home, at church, or at school.

This creature finally begins to show the cracks of his stress-ridden conscience. He becomes increasingly more demanding of himself and others---especially those nearest him. This neurotic intolerance slowly begins to isolate him. Muscular tics appear. His smile erodes into a frown. Performance and greater achievement become his security . . . and any setback or failure fractures his equilibrium.

As I write this I think of the need for balance. A measure of efficiency and discipline in life is absolutely healthy and necessary. Being faithful and dedicated to our work is commendable. "Redeeming the time" is biblical. But there is a point where we no longer enjoy ourselves. We can go to strange extremes---extremes that create inner functional disorders which turn us into slaves. We find ourselves blinded to other areas of life which are just as significant as our work---sometimes more! Harold R. Nelson, director of the Department of Pastoral Care at the Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, describes this tendency that gives birth to workaholics:

All of us have our own ways of hating or degrading ourselves. You may do it by being a hard-working perfectionist, and I may do it by being a disorganized, lazy nonconformist. If all you know is "work and achieve," you may be consciously or unconsciously trying to prove your worth to yourself and others.

Well, let's discover if you are one of these strange creatures, okay? The following chart should help you determine the answer. Numbers one and two pretty well describe a workaholic. Number three is fairly well balanced. Numbers four and five---you've got other problems, but you are definitely not a workaholic.

Quality of Work
1) Leaps tall buildings with a single bound.
2) Must take a running start to leap over buildings.
3) Can leap over only short buildings.
4) Crashes into building when attempting to leap.
5) Cannot recognize buildings at all.

Timeliness
1) Is faster than a speeding bullet.
2) Is as fast as a speeding bullet.
3) Not quite as fast as a speeding bullet.
4) Would you believe a slow bullet?
5) Wounds self with bullet when attempting to fire.

Initiative
1) Is stronger than a locomotive.
2) Is stronger than a bull elephant.
3) Is strong as a bull.
4) Shoots the bull.
5) Smells like a bull.

Communication
1) Talks with God directly.
2) Talks with angels.
3) Talks to himself.
4) Argues with himself.
5) Loses those arguments.


Excerpted from 'Come Before Winter' and 'Share My Hope', Copyright © 1985, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Saturday - The Sayings of Jesus

Luke 22:66-71

66) When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away to their council, and they said, 67) "If you are the Christ, tell us." But he said to them, " If I tell you, you will not believe; 68) and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69) But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God." 70) And they all said, "Are you the Son of God, then?" And he said to them, " You say that I am." 71) And they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips."

My new AVON page link :) YAY!

http://www.youravon.com/psherer

Look around, buy online... if you need help, let me know!

I am very excited about being with Avon again! If you'd like to become a Rep in your area, just let me know!

Have a great day!

Phyllis Adelle