STAND UP FOR SOMETHING – Friday May 26th 2017 Memorise:  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16 Read:  Revelations 3:15-16 (King James Version) 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Bible in one year:  Acts 10-11, Jeremiah 36:4-19, Hymn: Sing hymn 9 MESSAGE “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert could or hot.” Revelation 3:15 If there is one state that God never wants His children to be in, it is the state of lukewarmness. As seen in the above Scripture passage, the Lord speaks His mind on this issue in very strong terms. He says if you want to be hot, be hot, and if you want to be cold, be cold; if you are neither cold nor hot, He will spit you out of His mouth. God has zero tolerance for lukewarmness...

SWEET SAVOUR TO THE LORD -NUMBERS 15:1-16 KEY VERSE: "And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock" (Numbers 15:3).. Many factors conjoin to make our food enjoyable. Food makers know so well the importance of aroma, mouth-feel and appearance when it comes to food consumption experience. The senses of taste and smell are inexplicably tied together and arc critical in food enjoyment and safety. Except for what we consume strictly for medical reasons, food has to pass the aroma and taste test to get our acceptance or approval. God is also interested in sweet aroma. It could have been the missing element in the rejected offering of Cain as opposed to that of Abel whose sacrifice was accepted by God. When Noah appreciatively offered to God after the deluge, "the LORD smelled a sweet savour". Fol...

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES FRIDAY, 26TH MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ HE'S UNLIMITED. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God (Psalm 90:2). Many people have unconsciously placed a limit on God, who He is, and what He’s capable of doing. Notice what our opening verse says about His illimitable personality: from everlasting to everlasting, He’s God. That means both in the dateless past, and in the dateless future, He is God. Isn’t that amazing? No wonder the human mind can’t easily grasp things about Him. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” For example, there’re those who question the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus. They even say, “How can God, who is neither a woman nor a man, hav...

  May 26, 2017 Navigating Rough Waters Joe Stowell 1 Chronicles 28:9–20 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LordGod, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.  1 Chronicles 28:20 I was enjoying the start of my first whitewater rafting experience—until I heard the roar of the rapids up ahead. My emotions were flooded with feelings of uncertainty, fear, and insecurity at the same time. Riding through the whitewater was a first-rate, white-knuckle experience! And then, suddenly, it was over. The guide in the back of the raft had navigated us through. I was safe—at least until the next set of rapids.  Transitions in our lives can be like whitewater experiences. The inevitable leaps from one season of life to the next—college to career, changing jobs, living with parents to living alone or with a spouse, career to retirement, youth to old age—are all marked by uncertainty and insecurity.  In one of...

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES MONDAY, 22ND MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ HE'S ALIVE AND AT WORK IN YOU. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13 NIV). The thought in our opening verse is such a powerful blessing. It lets you know that there’s a divine force, something supernatural and completely beyond you, that makes you do the things you do as a Christian. That force or power is Christ in you. When you study the life of Jesus in His earth-walk, you’ll see that power at work in Him. Acts 10:38 declares, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” It was God working in Him to give sight to the blind, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, mend the broken hearted, deliver those who were oppressed of the devil, and even raise the dead. That same Christ, in His mighty powe...

A SECOND LOOK AT GREATNESS -MARK 10:35-45 KEY VERSE: "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister" (Mark 10:43). Whenever we hear the word "great" or "greatness", we often think of certain outstanding and revered people. Truly, history has a rich record of notable people in every field of human endeavour who have demonstrated rare leadership qualities, creative abilities, courage, sportsmanship and other skills. God, however, has a different way of looking at greatness. Greatness subsists in serving others and not waiting to be served by others or attaining a position where we think we can lord it over others. Worldly fame, honour and authority can be quite tantalizing, but they should not be our motive in life or ministry. The sons of Zebedee, James and John had requested privileged positions in Christ’s kingdom. They were willing to suffer for it, but Christ, hinting that they would eventually suff...

God Made Us Unique By Billy Graham   •   May 22   •   Topics: Soul & Spirit HomeDaily DevotionGod Made Us Unique group of young people Our soul waiteth for the Lord . . . —Psalm 33:20 I am a soul—and I have a body! The body is the house in which the soul lives. When Oliver Wendell Holmes was in his 80th year, a friend hailed him and asked, “How are you?” “I’m fine,” said Holmes, “the house I live in is tottering and crumbling, but Oliver Wendell Holmes is fine, thank you.” In this materialistic age we often forget that the real, the abiding part of us is invisible. Much time, money, and effort are expended to perpetuate the physical part of us, and too many are unconcerned about their spiritual health and nurture. Hence doctors’ offices are overcrowded, and many ministers’ counseling rooms are empty. When God created man, He made him distinctive, different from the other animals....