Today's Scripture Passage: Proverbs 24:14-20
14 Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. 15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house, do not raid his dwelling place;
16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. 17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, 18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.
19 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked, 20 for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.Today's Scripture Message:
Do you remember your parents saying "You know better"? In their rearing of you, in all that they taught you, when you did something against that lesson, this was a statement heard many times. In His word the same message is uttered "YOU KNOW BETTER". The wisdom of the Word of God is a guide ot our faith always renewing our mind and spirit with the lessons of our faith. Remember you are a vessel so be assured his intenetion is never to know you down, but to lift you up, just sometimes he has to bring you to your knees for you to look up and see Him and his intention for you. Pray today that we rejoice in Gods correction of us, not blame & curse those who do us harm that we remain focused on the fact that Gods hand is always with the righteous and that we have to forgive not just those who harm us, but ourselves and circumstances. that we stand each time we fall and pray mercy for those whodo us harm as we would expect mercy for ourselves. That we all go in joy and share His Word with all whom we encounter..
Prayer for the day:
Father, I thank you for the constant growth you have provided me in the lessons of my living. I know I am not perfect but strive daily to be a little better than I was the day before. All glory and honor is yours, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thought for the day:
“Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living, the other helps you make a life.
~ Sandra Carey
Goal for the Day
Take the lessons of your living and apply what you’ve learned to move you positively forward in the wisdom of your experience.
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Pastor Dickow’s Fast from Wrong Thinking
Revolution Day 37:
Today we’re fasting from the thought that says, “Obeying God just doesn’t seem to make a difference.” Often times, we see others disobey God, yet still succeed financially; while we may struggle.
Let’s change it today:
1. See their present success as your future success. Ecclesiastes 2:26...to the sinner, God gives the task of gathering & storing up wealth for the one who pleases God.
2. Be faith minded continually. Faith = Believing God’s Word. And faith pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6).
3. Trust in the power of patience/endurance. Don’t give up. Through faith & patience you inherit the promises of God. (Hebrews 6:12).
4. Expect to be overtaken. Deuteronomy 28:2 says “All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you because you obey God.”
5. Be a builder. When you act on the Word, you are building your house on a rock. You can endure anything. (Matthew 7:24) Believe that every act counts!
6. Embrace God’s character: He is a rewarder! (Hebrews 11:5) Expect REWARDS for believing God, seeking God & obeying God
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I believe that obeying God will result in my good success. The wealth being hoarded by this world is coming to me, as I walk by faith—which pleases God. I refuse to stop serving God and acting on His Word—His promises are coming to me. He is a rewarder of those who seek Him, and I am seeking Him, NOW, in Jesus’ Name.
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Daily Lenten Reflection from
St. Michael of Old Town
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
April 14, 2011
"Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him . . . ." (John 8:58-59a).
I remember when I was a child and I would read these verses, I would always side with Jesus and shake my head in wonder at the unbelieving Jews. How could they be so unwilling to accept the Gospel Jesus was revealing to them? To me, Jesus had expressed my sentiments perfectly when he appeared, after his resurrection, to two of his apostles on the Road to Emmaus. They were despairing because Jesus had been crucified and their hopes had been dashed. At this Jesus responds:
“‘Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.” Luke 24:25-27.
In other words, “duh!” But since childhood, I’ve had a change of opinion in what I imagine Jesus’ tone to have been when he said this to his apostles. Instead of a scolding, I think he probably had a smirk on his face. As if to say, “I know this is hard, but you really have to believe me.”
I’m a Catholic convert from Protestantism. And up until a few years ago, I was a true zealot. Anyone who ends up being a convert usually is. But my zealotry didn’t start when I became Catholic. I was probably an even bigger zealot as a Protestant. The things I said about the Catholic Church in my earlier years make me blush now. The following story reveals how extreme I was. I received a call from one of my best friends in law school in the days leading up to my conversion in 2004. He called to tell me that he was entering the Church at Easter, but he had no idea I was doing the same. Both of us were raised Protestant, and we had never talked about Catholicism when we were in law school together. The subject never came up . . . in a positive sense, that is. I had a habit of trashing the Catholic Church whenever I had a chance (psychologists refer to this as Reaction Formation, by the way). So, when my friend called, he was expecting me to recount to him the decadence of the Renaissance Popes or the horrors of the Inquisition. What he ended up hearing from me was probably the last thing in the world he expected.
So all of that to say, I can certainly identify with the stone-throwers in this passage from John’s Gospel. Their zeal perhaps wasn't evil. It’s possible they truly believed that Jesus was blaspheming the God they so ardently served. And we don't know the after-story. I have a hunch that a lot of those stone-throwers later ended up being some of Jesus’ most faithful disciples. If our zeal comes from a desire to follow what is right, then God will often use it to lead us to the truth.
Chris Slick
Lord, make us zealous for your truth, but help us not to confuse the quest for truth with an exaltation of our own ego. YOU are the Truth. Give us the desire to know you more, but keep us open to the possibility that we might be wrong sometimes. Amen.
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Happy 104th Day of the New Year
Daily Affirmation: “Something GREAT Is Going to Happen To and Through Me Today!!!
LIVE ON PURPOSE!!! LET’S GO!!!
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