New Things
December 31, 2009
Source: ScripShot Photo devotionals
| "Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you." (Isaiah 42:9) NASB Context |
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Icy Stream - by Romeo Koitmä © 2009 |
Center for Creative Ministry © 2009. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ® Respond to this image. |
Original Post: http://creativeministry.org/article.php?id=789
Good News
December 31, 2009
Source: ScripShot Photo devotionals
| "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people..." (Luke 2:10) NASB Context |
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Red Berries - by Studiomill © 2010 |
| Center for Creative Ministry © 2010. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®Respond to this image. |
Original Post: http://creativeministry.org/article.php?id=784
The Appointed Time
December 31, 2009
Source: ScripShot Photo devotionals
| "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--" (Eclessiastes 3:1) NASB Context |
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Astronomical Clock - by Cop Richard © 2010 |
| Center for Creative Ministry © 2010. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®Respond to this image. |
Original Post: http://creativeministry.org/article.php?id=645
Discovering Real Meaning in Life — December 31, 2009
December 31, 2009
Source: It Is Written's A Better Way to Live video podcast.
Summary: What do you want the rest of your life to look like?
Verse: "The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
—Psalm 90:10
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Love Each Other
December 30, 2009
Source: Bible Says
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| Photo: Dreamstime |
“Love each other!” I scream to my friends who are jokingly arguing about whose dorm room is cleaner, throwing playful insults back and forth. They roll their eyes at me and smile, they’ve heard that before. Not many days go by without me saying my “catchphrase,” I say it loud, I say it often, I never forget to remind my friends to “love each other.” The conversation moves on after a while, and we approach a topic I don’t particularly like, about a person I don’t particularly like. I mutter a backhanded comment to myself, which everyone in the room seems to hear. “Love each other,” one of my friends says quietly, purposely, and I am completely taken aback.
When he commanded us to love one another, Jesus might as well have given us a hammer and asked us to knock down the Great Wall of China. “Here, have a go at it,” very nonchalantly, like if it were the easiest thing in the world. It’s not, not even close. Loving our loved ones is easy, obviously, but what about the people that frustrate us? The people for whom we simply can’t find even one reason to love. The people who have hurt us in the past, and maybe continue hurting us in the present. Loving them, even attempting it, might as well be impossible.
Love with No Reason
Just like a hammer can’t possibly knock down one of the strongest structures ever built, we sinful humans can’t love in the perfect way that Christ has loved us. Christ has no reason to love us, except that He just does. We hurt Him nearly every day, when we sin, when we forget to pray, and He continues to love us unconditionally. We can hold a grudge when a friend doesn’t thank us for doing them a small favor; Jesus died for us and will love us even when we don’t talk to Him.
But Jesus, in His never-ending mercy, isn’t simply giving us a hammer, He’s saying “Look at me, I’ll teach you.” What better example of love than Love Himself? But it gets better, by looking at Him, really looking at Him, we become like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18). With Jesus in our hearts, loving each other becomes possible. With His strength in us, the Great Wall of China comes crashing down. God’s love is stronger than anything we could ever build, including our grudges.
With a little patience, and a lot of prayer, we can all “love each other.”
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By Raquel Levy. Copyright © 2009 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.
Original Post: http://e-gracenotes.org/article.php?id=3409
The Whole Armor of God — December 30, 2009
December 30, 2009
Source: It Is Written's A Better Way to Live video podcast.
Summary: What was Paul talking about when he emphasized putting on the whole armor of God?
Verse: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
—Ephesians 6:10-11
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Original Post: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/iiw/betterway/~3/IBLfPpPOmfE/30
A Picture of You
December 29, 2009
Source: Hope Generation
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| Photo: Marja Flick-Buijs |
Jake drew a picture of his face dotted with acne.
Sandy drew a picture of herself walking by a group of slender girl’s with the caption, “She’s fat!” written above them.
Ricky drew a picture of himself holding a Biology paper with a big “D” grade on it.
Carmen drew a picture of her pronounced nose.
Katie drew a picture of herself losing the class election—tears streaming down her face.
Trevor drew a picture of himself as a weed about to be mowed over by a lawn mower.
Other pictures drawn by the rest of the group were similar.*
I was both surprised and saddened because when I looked at these teens, my picture of them was much different. I saw teens not willing to give in to peer pressure. I saw friends who were always there for each other. I saw servants who were ready to help me at church at a moments notice. I saw young people of great value. I saw daughters and sons of God.
Self Worth Picture
What would your self-worth picture look like, if I asked you to draw me one? Would your picture be of something you don’t like about your looks? Would it be a picture of how hurtful your peers treat you? Or maybe how you feel your parents or teachers perceive you?
If you drew me a picture, I bet I’d look at it and say, “I don’t see you this way. I see someone much more special than this picture shows.”
More importantly, I can imagine Jesus looking your picture and saying, “Oh, this is all wrong. This isn’t how I picture you.” Then He’d go on to tell you that He has known and loved you since before you were born. He’s been there when you’ve been sad, even though you couldn’t see Him. He’s protected you, even when you didn’t realize it. He’s heard and answered all your prayers, even if you didn’t get the answers you wanted. He sees the good in you. Someone worth forgiving and giving a second chance. Someone worth dying for. He calls you “Son” or “Daughter.” And He wants to spend eternity with you.
So the next time you picture yourself, see yourself through God’s eyes. Then you’ll see the real you. A beautiful picture of you.
*All names were changed
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By Nancy Canwell. Copyright © 2009 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.
Original Post: http://e-gracenotes.org/article.php?id=1538
The Filters Through Which We View the World — December 29, 2009
December 29, 2009
Source: It Is Written's A Better Way to Live video podcast.
Summary: We each approach the world with our own set of filters. All our experiences lay down neural pathways, and whatever we see and hear is somewhat molded based our personal history. This verse is a Messianic prophecy that points us forward to Jesus. It says that He can see the whole truth of a matter and isn't so quick to make a decision based on first appearances.
Verse: "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears."
—Isaiah 11:1-3
Original Post: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/iiw/betterway/~3/_HcnZu6yXnE/29
Christmased Out!
December 28, 2009
Source: City Lights
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| Photo: George Bosela |
Yesterday was a frenzy of opening presents and feasting. Today it is over – except for paying the bills in the next few months. Time to take down the tree, stash the outdoor display of lights and reindeer back in the attic, and put away the presents. Everyone is bored with them already. It’s over. Merry material Christmas.
Do you notice how quickly Christmas is put behind us? The carols stop at midnight, Christmas Day. We move on to the next thing because we are all Christmased out.
Early Christians observed Christmas differently. December was a month of anticipation, preparation, and prayer. Christmas Day did not signify the end of the holiday – it heralded the beginning of twelve days of celebration. For them – as for us – Christmas brought a gift bigger than any video game system – it brought the promise of redemption, of life eternal.
Preparation and Prayer
The celebration started Christmas Day because their gift was a newborn baby. They held parties after Christmas because families celebrate a child’s arrival after the birth – not before. They spent December in preparation and prayer because that is what families do when expecting a birth.
As for exchanging presents? They did that – on a much smaller scale than we do today. Gifts were exchanged as a symbolic recognition of God’s gift of life, and to commemorate the frankincense, myrrh, and gold given Christ child. It was not the central reason for the holiday.
Our technology is superior to that of those early Christians. Humans orbit the Earth in ninety minutes, and speak to the other side of the world at the speed of light. While physically healthier, and perhaps more knowledgeable today, humans today are the same as humans then. We are born, we live, and die – just as those early Christians did.
A Christmas Carol ends with Ebenezer Scrooge becoming a byword for generosity. Not because Scrooge began partying and gave more gifts than everyone else. It was because he kept the spirit of Christmas throughout the year. Scrooge did not put Christmas back in the box after Christmas Day, to be hauled out after Halloween.
Those early Christians may have been on to something. The key to a meaningful Christmas is not flurries of parties before Christmas Day – or even the presents opened Christmas morning. It is celebrating the promise delivered on Christmas day in the days that follow.
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By Mark N. Lardas. Copyright © 2009 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.
Original Post: http://e-gracenotes.org/article.php?id=1444
Comfort and Peace — December 28, 2009
December 28, 2009
Source: It Is Written's A Better Way to Live video podcast.
Verse: The night Jesus was born and the angels sang, an unmistakable note of comfort swept over history. God's hand is outstretched to you today. Will you grasp it?Summary: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'"
—Luke 2:13-14
Original Post: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/iiw/betterway/~3/8NJRtG1t0pw/28
