DYSMAS CONDUIT
FREE FOOD
(Isa 55:1)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009
Question for the day: What is the best part of your day?
What can we pray with 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
2 Corinthians 10
Listen at
http://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm
Tearing Down Barriers
1-2
And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ. I hear that I'm being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I'm with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters. Please don't force me to take a hard line when I'm present with you. Don't think that I'll hesitate a single minute to stand up to those who say I'm an unprincipled opportunist. Then they'll have to eat their words.
3-6
The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
7-8
You stare and stare at the obvious, but you can't see the forest for the trees. If you're looking for a clear example of someone on Christ's side, why do you so quickly cut me out? Believe me, I am quite sure of my standing with Christ. You may think I overstate the authority he gave me, but I'm not backing off. Every bit of my commitment is for the purpose of building you up, after all, not tearing you down.
9-11
And what's this talk about me bullying you with my letters? "His letters are brawny and potent, but in person he's a weakling and mumbles when he talks." Such talk won't survive scrutiny. What we write when away, we do when present. We're the exact same people, absent or present, in letter or in person.
12
We're not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they're our superiors. We wouldn't dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.
13-14
We aren't making outrageous claims here. We're sticking to the limits of what God has set for us. But there can be no question that those limits reach to and include you. We're not moving into someone else's "territory." We were already there with you, weren't we? We were the first ones to get there with the Message of Christ, right? So how can there be any question of overstepping our bounds by writing or visiting you?
15-18
We're not barging in on the rightful work of others, interfering with their ministries, demanding a place in the sun with them. What we're hoping for is that as your lives grow in faith, you'll play a part within our expanding work. And we'll all still be within the limits God sets as we proclaim the Message in countries beyond
CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
Welcome home Mike and Sandy Brommer!
They have also requested prayer for guidance concerning a particularly troublesome personal issue.
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 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.
UPDATE:
After more testing, the doctors have found that, despite the number of tumors found in and around the bladder, that the cancer has NOT spread to any surrounding muscle tissue or organs. They are looking at completely removing the bladder and replacing it with a piece of intestine. WE PRAISE GOD AND GIVE HIM THE GLORY FOR THIS; WE ALSO PRAY THAT BILLY WILL RECOGNIZE THIS AS GOD WORKING IN HIS LIFE!!!!!!!!!
I'm asking for prayer for my brother David. Late last week he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A biopsy indicated the tumor was malignant. He will be getting a full pathology report today, Wednesday. Pray that God will lay His hand on David and the doctors as they map out a plan to attack and get rid of this tumor. I also ask for God's love, peace, comfort, and understanding for David and all of the family members. Thanks, --Ralph Boboltz
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TODAY
October 22, 2009
The Most Important Time of My Day
Lysa TerKeurst
"'… Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
Devotion:
Is it really that important to have a quiet time with the Lord everyday? I mean the Lord knows how busy my life is, so if I just toss up a few prayers and listen to a Christian song on the radio while rushing into my day, that should suffice. Right?
It's easy to let the busyness of life crowd out time for prayer, Bible reading, and sitting with the Lord. There are a million things on all of our to-do lists, time is tight, and quiet moments seem few and far between. But I've learned that if I make the choice to be with the Lord first thing in the morning, my outlook on life that day and my ability to handle things seems to go so much smoother.
Also, I've had to change my mindset on having a quiet time. Spending time with the Lord in the morning doesn't end when I say "amen" and put my Bible back on the shelf. I've just invited the King of kings to participate in my day. So, I get up from spending time with the Lord in the morning and start eagerly looking for His hand of activity in my life.
I think about the Bible verses I read that morning and look for ways to apply them to my life that very day. I watch the circumstances that come my way hour by hour and ask the Lord to constantly give me wisdom to process life in the way that would be most honoring to Him. My mindset is healthier, my attitude more positive, and my ability to extend grace to those who rub me the wrong way is increased just by setting aside some time to be with the Lord.
If you are struggling with having quiet time with the Lord each day, try these helpful ideas:
Be honest with God and admit your struggle. Ask God to give you the desire to set aside time to be with Him.
Start with just a small amount of time. Even if it is just 5 minutes at first, give this 5 minutes solely to the Lord without any other distractions. Over the next weeks and months, your desire for more time with Him will increase.
Use a version of the Bible that lends itself to study. I use the NIV Life Application Study Bible and I love it. It helps me understand the context each book was written in and gives me commentaries to understand specific verses.
Ask God for understanding as you read the Bible. When I first started reading the Bible I had a hard time. So, I started praying that God would open my spiritual eyes to see the truths in a life changing way for me.
Write some of the verses that seem most applicable to your life on 3x5 cards and use them in your prayers. For example, Matthew 6:19-20 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." So, I could use this verse in my prayer time by praying, "God, help me to know how to store up treasures in Heaven. Help me to relinquish my tight hold on my earthly possessions so I can use them to build Your kingdom now. Show me how to best use that which You have blessed me with. Give me Your mindset for the money I have."
Get involved in a Bible Study with friends. This will help hold you accountable to getting your study time done and will open up great discussions to deepen everyone's understanding of applying God's truths to everyday life.
I've found a daily quiet time with the Lord is very important and very doable as well.
Dear Lord, I want a more vibrant relationship with You and I know having a daily quiet time is an important part of that. Help me make this my most important priority each day, no matter how busy life is, In Jesus' Name, amen.
Application Steps:
If you don't know which book of the Bible to start with, I'd suggest either Matthew or Philippians. These are two of my favorite books that are rich with life application opportunities. You may also want to read a chapter from the book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters, one for each day of the month.
Reflections:
The fall months seem to be a time where schedules pick up, time gets tight, and some things have to fall by the wayside. But, we have to be careful to never take a break from having time with the Lord. How can we safeguard this time and make it a priority each day?
Power Verses:
Matthew 6:11, "Give us today our daily bread." (NIV)
Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (NIV)
…and…
TURNING POINT
Dr. David Jeremiah
Stay Confident - Part 1
Thursday, October 22, 2009
According to the FDIC, nearly one-hundred
Series: Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World
VIEW OR LISTEN AT
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Turning_Point/
GDLC Message: http://www.gdlc.org/worship/sermons.aspx
Find us at…
http://dysmasconduit.weebly.com/
or
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