Age How Old Are You

Age

How Old Are You?

God is working in your life every day.

Does your age match your spiritual maturity?

I have to confess I have never

understood why people are so afraid

to let others know how old they are.

I know I am sometimes late to the party,

but what is the big deal.

You have heard it said,

“I am 39 and holding.” 

I can understand wanting

to feel young and full of energy.

But a positive confession only goes so far,

you have to eat right and exercise.

I believe we should be proud of how old we are.

Job cursed the day he was born

and God rebuked him.

God did not appreciate Job losing sight of

the fact that God formed him in his mother’s

womb and had a purpose for his life.

Your life and mine are part of God’s plan.

God is working in our lives to make us more like His Son.

God is using the days of our lives to mature us.

Maturity in our lives is very important to God.

Someone once prayed,

“Lord help me grow up before I get old.”

God is working in each of our lives so that

when we grow old, we will become

grown up and more valuable to Him.

Yes, the young man has his strength but

the mature person works smarter - not harder.

We should be proud of our age if we

have allowed God to work in our lives.

Maturity should be respected and desired.

To curse our age is to curse

the work of God in our lives.

Maturity is God’s goal for you.

God has used the days of your life to bring you to maturity.   

I have to confess that I am a little ashamed to tell my age

because I am not as mature as I think I ought to be.

But my maturity is because God has been working

throughout my life and I want to honor Him with it.

When I look at my age and I compare it to my

maturity I find I am older than I act and for

that I am grateful for God’s grace and patience.

So if you want to know my age,

I am 61 years old and thank

God for the things He has done

in my life to make me mature.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 5:12-14 NIV

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers,

you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.

You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk,

being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

14 But solid food is for the mature,

who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 6:1-3 NIV

6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ

and go on to maturity,

 not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,

and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands,

the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

3 And God permitting, we will do so.

Luke 8:14-15 NIV

14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear,

but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries,

riches and pleasures, and they do not mature .

15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart,

who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,

some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12 to prepare God's people for works of service,

so that the body of Christ may be built up

13 until we all reach unity in the faith

and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,

attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Colossians 4:11-12 NIV

 12 Epaphras, who is one of you

and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings.

He is always wrestling in prayer for you,

that you may stand firm in all the will of God,

mature and fully assured.

James 1:2-6 NIV

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,

who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Job 3:1-11 NIV

3:1 After this, Job opened his mouth

and cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said:

3 "May the day of my birth perish,

and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!'

4 That day — may it turn to darkness;

may God above not care about it;

may no light shine upon it.

5 May darkness and deep shadow

claim it once more;

may a cloud settle over it;

may blackness overwhelm its light.

6 That night — may thick darkness seize it;

may it not be included among the days of the year

nor be entered in any of the months.

7 May that night be barren;

may no shout of joy be heard in it.

8 May those who curse days curse that day,

those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.

9 May its morning stars become dark;

may it wait for daylight in vain

and not see the first rays of dawn,

10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me

to hide trouble from my eyes.

11 "Why did I not perish at birth,

and die as I came from the womb?

Bread

Bread

  

 This unleavened bread

may cost you next to nothing.

But don’t underestimate its value!

Bread is one of the cheapest things

you can buy in the grocery store.

The other day Sandy and I were at a park

and people were tossing bread to the geese.

Bread is an inexpensive way

to feed the birds.

Bread is so common

you can find it in every home.

A family that has very little to spend

on food will have bread.

Sandy and I have been taking communion

every night for the last 5½ years.

The significance of the Lord’s Supper is important;

and each night I fear that our regularly visiting

His table will become common place.

Each night I ask God to give me something fresh

as we sit next to the Eucharist elements.

The other night as I took the unleavened bread

I thought about Christ’s Body.

There is nothing more valuable

to the believer than the Body of Christ.

Without His Body

we would not have

the teachings of the Gospels.

Without His Body

our sins would have never

been washed away at the cross.

As I held the bread that night,

I struggled with the thought that Jesus

used inexpensive bread

to represent the Most Valuable.

Jesus made it possible for

everyone to partake of Him.

All you and I need is a little bread

and a little fruit of the vine and

we can enter into a Holy moment.

There is something about

putting that bread

 in your mouth and

in seconds it starts

to be digested and

becomes a part of you.

Luke 22:19 NIV    Jesus said,

“Do this in remembrance of Me.”  

Remember when you

break the bread

it cost Him everything

even though the bread

costs you nothing.

Scripture Reading

Matthew 26:26-30 NIV

26 While they were eating,

Jesus took bread,

gave thanks and broke it,

and gave it to his disciples, saying,

"Take and eat; this is my body." 

27 Then he took the cup,

gave thanks

and offered it to them, saying,

"Drink from it, all of you.

28 This is my blood of the covenant,

which is poured out for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

29 I tell you,

I will not drink of this fruit of the vine

from now on until that day

when I drink it anew with you

in my Father's kingdom." 

30 When they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

God Provides

God Provides

A one gallon gas can told me

God would provide my needs.

The other day I was coming home.

I came up to a red light

and in front of me was a new red Cadillac.

When the light turned green,

the Cadillac did not move.

The long line of cars behind me

started beeping their horns

and speeding out around me.

It was almost 9:00pm and I was tired.

I had just picked up a movie, “Facing the Giants.”

 (an inspiring Christian film)

Sandy was waiting for me to return

so we could watch it that night.

As much as I wanted to pull out and go home,

I had a greater desire to help this motorist.

I got out of my car and walked

up to the driver’s window

of this new Cadillac.

Sitting behind the wheel was a

frighten young girl holding a cell phone;

not wanting to roll down the window.

Through the glass,

I asked her what her problem was.

She said,

“This is my mother’s car

and I think I am out of gas.”

After I pushed her car off to the side of the road,

I told her to sit still and I would get some gas.

I went up the road to a gas station

and asked the clerk if they had a gas can,

which they didn’t. 

It was at this moment I saw God showed up!

Going out the door was a tough looking man

with extensive tattoo work.

He said to me,
 “I have a gas can.”

He went through his trunk

and pulled out a one gallon can.

I put $3.25 of gas in it and together,

we went back to the frightened young girl

in the new red Cadillac.

The car started, the young girl asked the other man

if she could pay him and he said,

“No, it will come back to me some day when I am in need.” 

There seemed nothing left for me to say after that,

so I gave her a card with our church name on it

along with Sandy’s and mine and said,

“God bless you.”

So why was I prompted to write this story?

It’s because of the gas can.

The gas station didn’t have a can,

so God sent one from Grand Rapids, Michigan,

200 miles away!

This unlikely man…

at the exact moment…

heard my need as I asked the clerk…

and happened to have a gas can in his trunk…

with his clothes…

he was taking with him

to Georgia for the weekend.

There are some things in life

that have only one explanation…

“GOD”

Scripture Reading

Philemon 4:18-19 NLT

18 At the moment I have all I need

— more than I need!

I am generously supplied with the gifts

you sent me with Epaphroditus.

They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice

that is acceptable to God and pleases him.

19 And this same God

who takes care of me

will supply all your needs

from his glorious riches,

which have been given to us

in Christ Jesus.

The Gift of Color

The Gift of Color

If you can see these colors,

You have a great gift from God.

Give Him thanks!

When I was a boy

we had a black and white TV.

Everything was a shade of gray,

some areas lighter and some darker

to make up the picture. 

The other day I got one of those emails

that gets passed around to everybody.

It was about colors.

Each picture started out in black and white

then the colors are slowly introduced.

As I watched these pictures,

I was overwhelmed.

The difference was so great and wonderful.

As I watched,

I thought of a very good friend

who is color blind.

I don’t know if I will ever forget

the impact of that moment

when I realized my friend

has never seen colors.

I know it is not the worst thing in the world

and my friend enjoys life more than most;

but I now know the difference.

God could have created us

with black and white vision.

Just imagine how much you would have missed in life.

In that impacting moment

that I realized I was not color blind;

I realized I have seen more beauty

than I can ever comprehend.

Every time I open my eyes,

miraculous colors decorate everything I see. 

Two things griped me:

The desire to give my friend

the gift of seeing colors

&

A heart of appreciation and praise to God

for the miraculous gift to see colors

I pray you and I will not take for granted

the things God created us with.

Our God gave us colors before

black and white TV

and cameras were invented.

Won’t you give Him some color-ful praise!

Take a few minutes to check out this slide show

that impacted me to write this devotional.

http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Colors/index.htm

Scripture Reading

Psalm  94:1

GOD, put an end to evil;

avenging God,

show your colors !

Song 6:2-3

Never mind.

My lover is already on his way to his garden,

to browse among the flowers,

touching the colors and forms.

3 I am my lover's and my lover is mine.

He caresses the sweet-smelling flowers.

Zechariah 9:16

16 Their GOD will save the day.

He'll rescue them.

They'll become like sheep,

gentle and soft,

Or like gemstones in a crown,

catching all the colors of the sun.

Job 38:14 The Message

14 As the sun brings

everything to light,

brings out all

the colors and shapes…

Dearly Beloved Children Servants Double Your Paycheck

Dearly Beloved Children

Servants Double Your Paycheck

Today’s devotional tells you how

to double your pay check!

Doing the same work

and having a smile.

Jesus clearly taught us to be servants.

Jesus measures greatness by how well we serve.

Servanthood is a key message throughout the Bible.

The character and reward of the servant

are probably laid out more clearly in Ephesians 6:5-9

than any other place in the Bible.

Servants are to respectfully obey.

Always do a better job than what you are asked to do.

Have a good heart attitude.

Communicate your joy to help

by keeping a smile on your face.

The key - is what is behind your motive.

We all have a motive for what we do.

Our motive is clear.

All we do should be done to please the Lord.

Our real master is Christ.

His bank account and benefits cannot be exhausted.

So no matter who you are working for,

God will see to it that you receive

good pay for a good job. 

I, like you, have not always got

a sign of appreciation from my employers.

But the feeling I got,

 knowing God was pleased with my work,

helped me sleep well at night.

It is also nice to know that when

you deposit your Friday paycheck,

you have also deposited one

in your heavenly account.

As dearly beloved children,

we get double time for our labor.

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 6:5-9 The Message

5 Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters

but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ.

6 Don't just do what you have to do to get by,

but work heartily,

as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do.

7 And work with a smile on your face,

always keeping in mind that no matter

who happens to be giving the orders,

you're really serving God.

8 Good work will get you good pay from the Master,

regardless of whether you are slave or free.

9 Masters, it's the same with you.

No abuse, please, and no threats.

You and your servants are both

under the same Master in heaven.

He makes no distinction between you and them.

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)