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(Isa 55:1)

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

Question for the day: What are you most afraid of?

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

Today’s Chapter in God’s Word

Acts 25

(The Message)

Listen at

http://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm

An Appeal to Caesar

1-3

Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take up his duties as governor, he went up to Jerusalem. The high priests and top leaders renewed their vendetta against Paul. They asked Festus if he wouldn't please do them a favor by sending Paul to Jerusalem to respond to their charges. A lie, of course—they had revived their old plot to set an ambush and kill him along the way.

4-5

Festus answered that Caesarea was the proper jurisdiction for Paul, and that he himself was going back there in a few days. "You're perfectly welcome," he said, "to go back with me then and accuse him of whatever you think he's done wrong."

6-7

About eight or ten days later, Festus returned to Caesarea. The next morning he took his place in the courtroom and had Paul brought in. The minute he walked in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem were all over him, hurling the most extreme accusations, none of which they could prove.

8

Then Paul took the stand and said simply, "I've done nothing wrong against the Jewish religion, or the Temple, or Caesar. Period."

9

Festus, though, wanted to get on the good side of the Jews and so said, "How would you like to go up to Jerusalem, and let me conduct your trial there?"

10-11

Paul answered, "I'm standing at this moment before Caesar's bar of justice, where I have a perfect right to stand. And I'm going to keep standing here. I've done nothing wrong to the Jews, and you know it as well as I do. If I've committed a crime and deserve death, name the day. I can face it. But if there's nothing to their accusations—and you know there isn't—nobody can force me to go along with their nonsense. We've fooled around here long enough. I appeal to Caesar."

12

Festus huddled with his advisors briefly and then gave his verdict: "You've appealed to Caesar; you'll go to Caesar!"

13-17

A few days later King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice, visited Caesarea to welcome Festus to his new post. After several days, Festus brought up Paul's case to the king. "I have a man on my hands here, a prisoner left by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the high priests and Jewish leaders brought a bunch of accusations against him and wanted me to sentence him to death. I told them that wasn't the way we Romans did things. Just because a man is accused, we don't throw him out to the dogs. We make sure the accused has a chance to face his accusers and defend himself of the charges. So when they came down here I got right on the case. I took my place in the courtroom and put the man on the stand.

18-21

"The accusers came at him from all sides, but their accusations turned out to be nothing more than arguments about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who the prisoner claimed was alive. Since I'm a newcomer here and don't understand everything involved in cases like this, I asked if he'd be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there. Paul refused and demanded a hearing before His Majesty in our highest court. So I ordered him returned to custody until I could send him to Caesar in Rome."

22

Agrippa said, "I'd like to see this man and hear his story."

"Good," said Festus. "We'll bring him in first thing in the morning and you'll hear it for yourself."

23

The next day everybody who was anybody in Caesarea found his way to the Great Hall, along with the top military brass. Agrippa and Bernice made a flourishing grand entrance and took their places. Festus then ordered Paul brought in.

24-26

Festus said, "King Agrippa and distinguished guests, take a good look at this man. A bunch of Jews petitioned me first in Jerusalem, and later here, to do away with him. They have been most vehement in demanding his execution. I looked into it and decided that he had committed no crime. He requested a trial before Caesar and I agreed to send him to Rome. But what am I going to write to my master, Caesar? All the charges made by the Jews were fabrications, and I've uncovered nothing else.

26-27

"That's why I've brought him before this company, and especially you, King Agrippa: so we can come up with something in the nature of a charge that will hold water. For it seems to me silly to send a prisoner all that way for a trial and not be able to document what he did wrong."

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 New York.

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR PASTOR BOB ALLMANN

Please remain in prayer concerning his continued healing and that he is upheld by the Spirit, becoming physically strong as he returns to serving the Lord… what he loves to do!

Please continue to pray for Billy Hamburg, whose doctors found 5 tumors in his bladder. He had surgery June 29^th 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.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TODAY

September 7, 2009

When Your Child is Afraid

Glynnis Whitwer

"‘Because he loves me,' says the Lord,

‘I will rescue him; I will protect him,

for he acknowledges my name.'"

Psalm 91:14 (NIV)

Devotion:

When I was a child, my sister and I would set out on our bikes early Saturday morning. No helmet, cell phone, sunscreen or water bottle accompanied us. We might be gone for hours without communicating with our mother. Now as an adult, I wonder how I survived my childhood.

Those days are long gone for most children. The carefree days of yesterday have been replaced by vigilant protection and numerous warnings. Sadly, it seems our children have more to fear than we did 20 years ago. If not more to fear, then at least we are more aware of the dangers facing children. Consequently, many kids struggle with anxiety and fear.

There was a time when my youngest son Robbie struggled with fear. Nothing traumatic happened to him as a young child. It's just he has always been more sensitive than his siblings. Perhaps having two older brothers, Robbie was incorporated into games or television shows slightly above his maturity level. It's hard to pinpoint the reason for the fear, but when he was younger it manifested itself mostly at night. Robbie consistently had trouble falling asleep, and then would awake with bad dreams. It was a difficult cycle.

Being a fear-inclined person myself, I knew no amount of my reassurances would really help Robbie. And as he got older, Robbie knew my ability to protect him was limited. So night after night, I was startled awake by a shake on the shoulder and whisper in my ear, "Mommy, I can't sleep." I knew I had to do something to help Robbie rest easy, and for me to get some sleep.

We did two things to help Robbie deal with the night fears. The first was to personalize Psalm 91:14-16:

"‘Because (Robbie) loves me,' says the LORD, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect (Robbie), for he acknowledges my name. (Robbie) will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with (Robbie) in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy (Robbie) and show him my salvation.'"

I wrote it on a 3"x5" note card, which he kept by his bed. Reading that Scripture at night reminded Robbie to place his trust in the One who could protect him in times of trouble.

Second, we specifically prayed for God to protect Robbie from bad dreams. This is a nightly habit we developed over 10 years ago, and continue to this day. Every night I hold the hand of my now 14-year-old son, and pray the prayer I started praying so many years before. We can both testify to God's amazing faithfulness to protect Robbie even in his dreams.

The times I have struggled most with fear are the times I have placed my trust in someone or something other than God. It is my prayer as a mother, that my children will learn at an early age there is One in whom they can trust, and who is ready and able at the breath of a prayer to intercede on their behalf.

Dear Lord, I praise You for Your faithfulness to answer my prayers. I know only you are powerful enough to protect me and my children in every circumstance. Please guide me and give me wisdom as I deal with fear in my own life, and in the lives of those I love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:

Identify one thing you (or your child) are afraid of. Can you identify in what or whom you have placed your trust, other than God?

Reflections:

List some of the attributes of God that remind you of how powerful God is in the face of your fears (unchanging, all-knowing, etc.).

Why do we choose to trust in things other than God?

When have you seen God's protection in a fearful situation? How have you seen Him provide for your basic needs?

Power Verses:

Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (NIV)

Psalm 34:4, "I sought the LORD, and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." (NIV)

2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (KJB)

…and…

TURNING POINT

Dr. David Jeremiah

Slaying the Giant of Loneliness Part 1

Monday, September 07, 2009

We take pride in the fact that our modern society is filled with independent individuals. Being self-contained and self-sufficient is encouraged today - even idealized. And many people want nothing more than to climb the executive ladder - until they reach the end of their lives and realize they're all alone. They have no one to share in their success, and they would trade it all for someone to love. In today's message, we learn how to avoid and overcome the effects and pain of loneliness.

Series: Slaying the Giants in Your Life

VIEW OR LISTEN AT

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Turning_Point/

GDLC Message: http://www.gdlc.org/worship/sermons.aspx

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