Just Us: 11/3 Manna

DYSMAS CONDUIT

FREE FOOD

(Isa 55:1)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009

Question for the day: How does one gauge their self worth?

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

Ephesians 3

Listen at

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

CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please pray for Mike Brommer as he spreads the Lord’s Seed and witnesses 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 Mike safe passage today from Baltimore, MD.

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.

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!!!!!!!!!

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TODAY

November 3, 2009

I Would Have Made a Great Pharisee

Glynnis Whitwer

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!

You clean the outside of the cup and dish,

but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence."

Matthew 23:25 (NIV)

Devotion:

Give me a list of rules to follow and I'm happy. I can follow rules like nobody's business. My left-brain dominated thinking likes order and routine, blanketed with no surprises. There's some comfort, I guess, in being able to assess my performance according to a set standard. If I'm obeying the rules, I must be doing ok. Right?

There's one big problem with that line of thinking. It tends to redirect my focus from what really matters: the condition of my heart. Jesus identified this problem with a group of religious people back in the day called the Pharisees, and it didn't make Him happy. In fact, He reserved His harshest comments for those people whose insides didn't look anything like their outsides.

I wonder if the Pharisees were well-intentioned. Did they really want to serve God and thought they were by following the rules? Or was it more of a power play to gain respect? Either way, Jesus split open their pretty packaging and revealed the ugliness of their hearts… just like He does with me.

It seems God continually brings me to the end of my endurance, both emotionally and physically, to reveal the truth about my heart. What's revealed in those moments of pressure is usually something that needs addressing, like selfishness, insecurity, jealousy or bitterness. Getting split apart isn't pleasant. In fact, it's often painful and embarrassing. Yet, it's required if I want to become a true follower of Christ.

The reality is I would have made a great Pharisee. But the truth is I'd rather be a great disciple. I'd rather be sitting at the feet of Jesus than teaching in the temple. I'd rather share a simple meal of bread with Jesus than a fancy feast elsewhere. And if that requires the ugliness in my heart gets spilled out, then so be it.

‘Cause at the end of the day, I'd much rather hang out with Jesus who loves me in spite of all that junk. The other option is pretending it isn't there, but that's not fooling anyone. So, I'll welcome God's holy intrusion in my life, submit my need to rank my performance, and spend more time attending to my heart. That's what really matters.

Dear Lord, You are holy and righteous, and yet You love me just as I am. Thank You for calling me to a higher level of obedience, one that requires I submit my heart and my life. I long to follow You more than anything, in Jesus' Name, amen.

Application Steps:

Identify an area of your life where following the "rules" has taken priority over having a right heart. Submit that area of your life to God in prayer and ask Him to reveal anything in your heart that needs addressing.

Reflections:

How does a strict adherence to rule-following hinder us at times from obeying all of God's commands?

Why is hypocrisy such a dangerous condition in our lives?

Power Verses:

Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (NIV)

Matthew 23:23, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (NIV)

…and…

TURNING POINT

Dr. David Jeremiah

What Is My Self-Worth? - Part 1

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Did you know that a "self-esteem" search on Amazon

returns more than one-hundred-fifty thousand results?

Self-worth is a hot topic these days.

All across the world people are attending self-help seminars,

reading books on self-esteem –

all in an attempt to feel more significant, more important.

How do we discover our true worth?