Friday, July 31, 2009
Manna for July 31, 2009
Question for the day: Have you ever laughed at others when they are caught off guard in a ridiculous situation?
What can we pray for YOU about today?
Good morning,
This is just a reminder that every day, while we are studying God’s Word to add to our website, someone from our ministry, Dysmas Conduit, is holding you up before the Lord in prayer. May He greatly bless you today as you pursue His will and He is glorified through you.
God’s blessings, our love,
George & Sidney Granger
CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please pray for Mike and Sandy Brommer as they spread the Lord’s Seed and witness to His glory while on the road today. Please pray also that the Lord will lead him to Kingdom-profitable loads to carry, and that He grants them safe passage today.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR PASTOR BOB ALLMANN
Pastor Bob is doing so well that he gave his testimony about his accident and road to recovery at St. Mark Lutheran Church in
Please continue to pray for Billy Hamburg, whose doctors found 5 tumors in his bladder. He had surgery June 29th and the biopsy results showed a cancerous condition. He will be undergoing chemo & radiation treatments and will need the Lord’s Hand to overcome his anxiety as well as the cancer.
Please lift before the Lord our friend, Teri, who is facing an extremely large personal challenge. Pray that she will seek Jesus’ Face and strength, and the power found in strong Christian relationships, before it is too late for her to do so. Thank you, George and Sidney
FREE FOOD
(Isa 55:1)
Today in God’s Word
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2009
Please join your brothers and sisters
studying and praying with us today…
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TODAY
July 31, 2009
The Bohemian Skirt
"Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don't let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin."
Psalm 19:13 (NLT)
Devotion:
I knew the world was seeing a flash of white thighs and cellulite. Somehow in the gust of a whirlwind, my long gypsy-like skirt flew straight up and over my head. I tried to bat in down, but it stood stubbornly straight up like a corn stalk. It seemed the garment had a mind of its own. The more I struggled to keep it down, the higher it flew. (At least my face was covered and no one would know who owned those stocky dimpled legs.)
The skirt was my favorite attire. I adored the fabric. The colors displayed were bright and varied. Dark rusts, velvet black, and fireman red circled around the turquoise satin. Golden metallic threads highlighted the colors like trees on an autumn day. The skirt's bohemian qualities tickled my eccentric personality. That is until the day of the whirlwind, because the skirt continued to behave badly.
Later the same day, I was attempting to go through security at
After much wand waving, hand patting, and scrutinizing it was determined that the metal threads in my skirt were the cause of the security breach. What? My unruly skirt seemed intent on deliberately ruining my day. The security guards suggested I not wear the flagrant fabric again to the airport. I agreed whole-heartedly.
These two episodes caused me to reflect about sin--especially deliberate sin. There are certain sins that I don't want to give up because I like them. They are comfortable. They might even appear "cute" to my friends. However, as a follower of Christ, I must not allow sin to control me--even when others approve.
Sin doesn't fit a follower of Christ. We have to put on love, put on righteousness, and put on grace.
Later in the evening, I made the decision to part with my beloved bohemian skirt. I did not want a repeat of the airport episode. I also chose to part with one of my deliberate sins--laughing at others when they are caught off guard in a ridiculous situation like I was in. Yes, I used to laugh at others and think to myself, "So, how did that work out for you?"
Not now! Because I flashed the world with my thunder thighs and set off the airport alarms all because of one strong-willed, metallic-thread skirt, I don't snicker anymore. I quickly pray, "Mercy, Lord. Help her!"
Dear Lord, set off an alarm in my head when I contemplate committing a deliberate sin. I ask for the Holy Spirit to strengthen me in my resolve. Keep me free of sin and guilt. in Jesus' Name, asmen.
Application Steps:
Take a spiritual inventory of known sins in your life. Ask a friend to hold you accountable for ridding yourself of particular sins that have a hold on you. Decide today that you will not allow sin to control you any longer.
Reflections:
Do I have a favorite sin in my life?
Why does it have a foothold in my life? What benefit does it seem bring?
How can I eliminate it?
Power Verses:
Psalm 119:133, "Establish my steps and direct them by [means of] Your word; let not any iniquity have dominion over me." (AMP) (emphasis added)
Psalm 18:32, "Is not this the God who armed me, then aimed me in the right direction?" (MSG)
Romans 6:11-12, "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." (NIV)
…and…
Can the Lord Forgive Me If I Fail?
Friday, July 31, 2009
Peter promised to follow Jesus even to death,
yet he then denied he even knew him.
How do you come back from that kind of failure?
Woodrow Kroll concludes the Book of John with a study we need...
Series: John: Answers to Life's Questions (Week 8 of 8)
VIEW OR LISTEN AT
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Back_to_the_Bible/
GDLC Message: http://www.gdlc.org/worship/sermons.aspx
Find us at…
http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#
or
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Manna for July 30, 2009
Question for the day: How might you extend grace to someone who is suffering the consequences of their own poor choices today?
What can we pray for YOU about today?
Good morning,
This is just a reminder that every day, while we are studying God’s Word to add to our website, someone from our ministry, Dysmas Conduit, is holding you up before the Lord in prayer. May He greatly bless you today as you pursue His will and He is glorified through you.
God’s blessings, our love,
George & Sidney Granger
CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please pray for Mike and Sandy Brommer as they spread the Lord’s Seed and witness to His glory while on the road today. Please pray also that the Lord will lead him to Kingdom-profitable loads to carry, and that He grants them safe passage today from St George UT to
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR PASTOR BOB ALLMANN
Pastor Bob is doing so well that he gave his testimony about his accident and road to recovery at St. Mark Lutheran Church in
Please continue to pray for Billy Hamburg, whose doctors found 5 tumors in his bladder. He had surgery June 29th and the biopsy results showed a cancerous condition. He will be undergoing chemo & radiation treatments and will need the Lord’s Hand to overcome his anxiety as well as the cancer.
Please lift before the Lord our friend Teri who is facing an extremely large personal challenge. Pray that she will seek Jesus’ Face, and strength, and the power found in strong Christian relationships, before it is too late for her to do so. Thank you, George and Sidney
To all prayer warriors
After weeks of testing, my father was placed on hospice Monday. He has pneumonia, emphysema, a hole in one lung, an aneurism the size of a baseball, loss of weight (down to 115 lbs). Please pray for the family to have strength, courage and faith as we see Dad through this. MOST IMPORTANTLY...That Dad would come to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior before the end. Roger Miller
FREE FOOD
(Isa 55:1)
Today in God’s Word
THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2009
Please join your brothers and sisters
studying and praying with us today…
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TODAY
July 30, 2009
Learning the Hard Way
Whitney Capps
"A wise son heeds his father's instruction,
but a mocker does not listen to rebuke."
Proverbs 13:1 (NIV)
Devotion:
As of January, I am now the mother of three boys under four years of age. Our house is full of testosterone and a loud, unbridled enthusiasm for life. This is most true of our middle son Dylan. He is wild and rambunctious - a boy through and through.
If you were to watch him enter a room, you would notice that he makes a mental list of every structure that he can scale, leap off of or turn over. He is as creative as he is fearless. It's a dangerous combination.
To make matters worse, he has an extremely high tolerance for pain. My husband
Unfortunately, he has gotten more brazen in his attempts of late. He has noticed that I spend most of my day incapacitated with a nursing child in my arms as my primary responsibility. This has greatly slowed or halted my efforts to keep Dylan from his version of "extreme sports." If the mere warning from my voice was enough to stop my little acrobat, he'd be fine. However, my two-year old doesn't always listen the first time I say, "No."
So I have resigned myself to the fact that he is going to learn a few lessons the hard way. He is going to fall. He might even get hurt. I can't always be there to physically remove him from every obstacle he scales. I can't prevent every painful consequence of doing precisely what he chooses.
While I was praying for him the other night I asked God to make him more sensitive to my voice and to protect him when he ignores me and falls. I prayed for a gracious and forgiving attitude when he does need my comfort. In the quiet of my bedroom the Creator whispered, "I'm pretty good at that; that's how I often parent you."
I knew in an instant what God meant. I regularly dive head-first into a situation analyzing how I'll attack it. It's not long after God has chastened my heart that I move onto the next dangerous display of independence. If I would simply listen to His voice, I'd be fine. He has desired on many occasions to protect me from painful consequences, to protect me from myself. Instead I chose to learn the lessons the hard way. I wish I could say it only happened once or twice, but like my two year-old, I am remarkably tough, or stubborn. Neither is a good characteristic for a child.
I finished my prayer that night asking my Heavenly Father to forgive my toddler-like ways. I am trying to listen more carefully to His voice. I want to respond immediately. I am sure to encounter fewer bumps and bruises along the way. More importantly, I am sure to enjoy the smile and warm embrace of my all-gracious Father.
Dear Lord, thank You that You are patient and kind with me in my follies. Help me heed Your warnings the first time. It is good to rest assured that You guard me, smiling on Your daughter as You watch my steps. Thank You that You discipline me because of Your great love, in Jesus' Name, amen.
Application Steps:
Look for ways to extend grace to others who are suffering the consequences of their own poor choices.
Reflections:
What painful circumstances have you endured because you didn't heed the Father's voice?
In what ways are you testing the Father?
Power Verses:
Deuteronomy 8:5, "Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you." (NIV)
Hebrews 12:5-6, "And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.'" (NIV)
Numbers 6:24-25, "God bless you and keep you, GOD smile on you and gift you..." (MSG)
…and…
Why Is Believing Better Than Seeing?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Faith with or without sight--which is better?
How do we balance faith and fact?
Well, with a little help from Thomas in John 20...
Series: John: Answers to Life's Questions (Week 8 of 8)
VIEW OR LISTEN AT
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Back_to_the_Bible/
GDLC Message: http://www.gdlc.org/worship/sermons.aspx
Find us at…
http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#
or
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Manna for July 29, 2009
Question for the day: What would you change if you thought someone was always watching you?
What can we pray for YOU about today?
Good morning,
This is just a reminder that every day, while we are studying God’s Word to add to our website, someone from our ministry, Dysmas Conduit, is holding you up before the Lord in prayer. May He greatly bless you today as you pursue His will and He is glorified through you.
God’s blessings, our love,
George & Sidney Granger
CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please pray for Mike and Sandy Brommer as they spread the Lord’s Seed and witness to His glory while on the road today. Please pray also that the Lord will lead him to Kingdom-profitable loads to carry, and that He grants them safe passage today to
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR PASTOR BOB ALLMANN
Pastor Bob is doing so well that he gave his testimony about his accident and road to recovery at St. Mark Lutheran Church in
Please continue to pray for Billy Hamburg, whose doctors found 5 tumors in his bladder. He had surgery June 29th and the biopsy results showed a cancerous condition. He will be undergoing chemo & radiation treatments and will need the Lord’s Hand to overcome his anxiety as well as the cancer.
From Messiah Kneemail
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 5:49 PM
Prayer requests from communication cards:
Jeff/Peg Gledhill: Jayden he has pattern macular dystrophy. More specific tests being done this week in Beaumont & Children’s Hospital. It is a disorder of the retina.
Wendy Kall: my uncle is in hospital- please pray for an accurate diagnosis.
CONFIDENTIAL: finances
Zemanek, Brian/Lauren: Heather and newborn, Caiden 7/21/09
Ann/Al Gay: Linda Alexander, Jon French – injured in Afghanistan
Dick/Sharon Kidder: thanking you for your prayers God is healing me from my cancer surgery. I have no cancer now! Please continue your prayer for Sandro, grand son cyst on brain. Pray for sister Nancy for her spiritually, emotionally and for her finances, she goes without food to pay her bills.
CONFIDENTIAL: my nephews died last week, the pain is unbearable for my sister
Elfords: pray for our family and health
Carol Greyerbiehl: continued prayers for my boss Judy she had chemo on Friday that this week will be good and for our office many changes in Sept.
Greg Beck: a bit negative on marriage. After divorce I appear to realize what’s up with the vows. Better/worse … Good/bad… Death do us part?
Bilows: The LaPierre family who lost a daughter on Friday.
Kristine Pratt: my husband, Vern while he is away for the next few weeks training with the National Guard.
Nancy Southworth: Brad Southworth having problems with his eyes.
Bev Dietzel: the family of Ethel Miller, she dies yesterday at 101 years old. She was my grandmother.
CONFIDENTIAL: our grandson and our daughter
Judy Seelhoff: selling of my house make my move God’s way.
Rathbuns: for Matt’s back and for Kelly to find a job.
Burkhards: continue to pray for healing for Michelle as she is recovering from her c-section.
Bonnie Brock: my mom, Cecile Landry she has just been diagnosed with colon cancer.
Ron Grift: our family as the divorce with Helen & I will be final on Aug 3. Pray for strength for my children, Katie & Tracy.
Maggerts: family
David/Traci Toner: Keegan’s heart condition
Diana Piegols: Gary Piegols ulcers on his foot.
Ken/Rhoda Culbertson: Rhonda has cancer
Tom/Cheryl Christensen: Becker Family
CONFIDENTIAL: our grandchildren
FREE FOOD
(Isa 55:1)
Today in God’s Word
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2009
Please join your brothers and sisters
studying and praying with us today…
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TODAY
July 29, 2009
Nowhere to Hide
“God would surely have known it,
for he knows the secrets of every heart.”
Psalm 44:21 (NLT)
Devotion:
Recently my friend Amy was telling me that when her daughter Caroline was three years old, she believed that if she closed her eyes tightly, nobody could see her. This especially came in handy when she wanted to hide. For example, when she had to eat her peas at dinner. Since she did not like peas, she would sit very quietly at the table and squeeze her eyes tightly shut, assuming since she could no longer see her parents, they couldn’t see her and therefore didn’t know that she wasn’t eating her peas!
She tried to hide behind her eyelids, unaware that it was a completely futile effort!
While chuckling over this story, I thought about how we are often times so much like little Caroline. We think that we can keep our sins a secret, but the truth is, God sees all, and knows all.
There are certain sins in our lives that we may feel are justified and therefore we are not worried about who “sees” them - such as gossip, anger, revenge, jealousy, slander, envy, impatience. We know in our hearts those are not behaviors that please God, but they don’t seem to be the “big sins,” so we continue doing them.
On the other hand, there may be truly secret sins that we don’t want anyone to know about. Sins that if made public, could result in serious negative consequences, broken relationships, personal problems, or embarrassment. The only difference between secret sins and public sins is that they result in even more sinning as lies and deception take place to cover them up, giving Satan an even deeper stronghold on our hearts.
Regardless of whether we view our sins as big or small, public or secret - sin is sin, and God sees. Although we may be able to keep secrets from others, we cannot keep secrets from God. He is omnipotent, meaning “all knowing,” and there is nowhere to hide from God.
This acceptance that God knows everything can make us feel weak in the knees. Understanding that He sees all of our sinful thoughts and behaviors can even make us feel broken, worthless, ashamed and hopeless; however, that is not God’s desire, but instead, the enemy’s ultimate goal.
Satan wants us to feel broken and worthless because of our sin; God wants us to feel convicted to change. Satan wants us to feel ashamed; God wants us to feel redeemed. Satan wants us to feel hopeless; God wants us to see the grace and mercy that He offers. In fact, although God despises our sin, He takes great joy when we recognize our sin, and seek His cleansing forgiveness. He is pleased when we ask for His supernatural power to enter our hearts and help us overcome those private and public sins in our lives. He is proud of us when He sees that we tremble at His Word, and recognize our need for His omnipotence.
Yes we are sinners, but God loves us unconditionally, and His forgiveness is infinite and always available.
Trying to hide our sins from God is as futile of an effort as Caroline trying to hide behind closed eyelids. God desires that we open our eyes and see our sin through His eyes, repent in prayer, and thirst for healing forgiveness that only He can provide.
Dear Lord, I praise you for loving me despite my sin, and for forgiving me time and time again. Thank You for dying on the cross so that I could have eternal life, even when I don’t deserve it. Please fill me with hope and strength to overcome, and continue to bless me with Your grace and mercy. Help me to have a heart that longs to think and behave in ways that please You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Have a heart to heart conversation with God today.
Reflections:
If I were to consider what God sees me doing and thinking, would He be pleased with me?
Are there any sins that I have yet to confess to God, that are keeping me from being who God wants me to be?
Power Verses:
Romans 3:23-24, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
Jeremiah 23:24, “‘Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the LORD. ’Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD.” (NIV)
Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” (NIV)
…and…
Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
So Jesus rose from the dead.
But ever since, people have demanded proof and brushed aside the truth. Woodrow Kroll takes on this crucial question in today's study...
Series: John: Answers to Life's Questions (Week 8 of 8)
VIEW OR LISTEN AT
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Back_to_the_Bible/
GDLC Message: http://www.gdlc.org/worship/sermons.aspx
Find us at…
http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#
or
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