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2 Peter 3:17 ESV "You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability."It's called "group mentality" and it can happen to anyone at anytime unless they are secure in where they walk! While responding to a first aid call, we encountered a group that was bent on causing trouble! A few ring leaders where edging the people on to stop us from helping the ones who were hurt, I was amazed at how people jumped in who were not a part of the situation but got "caught up" with the crowd! Today's Word gives us some great advice about "following the crowd", and to be careful we are not carried away with the error of lawless people. Having confidence in who we are in Christ, and where we stand, will keep us from being blown around by every wind that blows! Find stability in Christ to hold fast when the crowd wants to pull us away from the Truth! peace, tom
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Joshua 1:9 NASB "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”"Going through some old photos, I came across one of my rookie days on the fire department and thought to myself, I must have been crazy! The thought of running into a burning building seems crazy and yet I found strength in words from my dad, and the camaraderie of the crew I was on. Today's verse shares God speaking to young Joshua as he was about to lead the Israelites into the Promise Land. As life continues with wearing masks, keeping 6' apart, maybe we need to ask ourselves if today's verse is some great advice on which to stand and begin to live rather than just exist?! When I look back at my time on the FD, I have a peace in my spirit that I knew God went with me. The question for today is... do we have the courage to face the unthinkable, to be strong and courageous in Christ as we face each new day? peace, tom
John 16:33 NASB "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”"It had been along time since I did it but after doing it, I found that His Word is more important! Today's Word speaks about peace, finding courage and how He has overcome the world! It had been a long time since I watched the evening news. With all the things going on, I thought it would be a good idea, but sadly I was mistaken! Yes it's good to be informed of what is going on in our neighborhoods, in our communities, in our world but we can't get caught up in the hype of all the "bad" news when we know the Good News of Jesus Christ! Today's verse is a great one to keep in mind as we see the tribulation of the world and even the tribulation we face in our own world. Like His Word says, let us take courage, for He has overcome the world, and we can too in the power of the Holy Spirit and the peace we find in Him! Now that's Good News! peace, tom
Matthew 5:16 NASB "Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."It just didn't look as good as it could! Working with some old model RR cars, one of them had a broken light bulb so the car didn't illuminate like the others! Today, we learn how we must let the Light of Christ shine in us in such a way that others will see it and give God the glory! The car went around the track but it didn't light up and got lost amid the other cars that lit! Many times in life, we don't shine like we should, for some reason our light has either dimmed or gone out. We need to replace the Light of Christ in our lives by plugging into the power of the Holy Spirit, some of even need to change "our" light bulb into the Light bulb of Christ. Re-light your life by acts of good will towards others, so we shine in such a way that brings God the glory! peace, tom
Philippians 2:2 NASB "make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose."What a wonderful time it was when we finally all got on the same page! We had taken a saturday to help out at our church, but without everyone working in the same spirit, the same purpose, we had confusion and nothing really seemed to be getting done! Today's verse is Paul speaking to the church in Philippi and told them that they made his joy complete when they all worked together, united in love and spirit with one purpose in mind! Once we all got on the same page, things got done, and done fast and complete. At the end of the day, we sat back and were filled with a joy and sense of accomplishment. Whether it's with our wives, families, churches, communities or co-workers, when we work together as one, things get accomplished and there is an inner joy of working together. Just imagine if we spent everyday with that mind set, why not start today?! peace, tom
Ephesians 2:10 NASB "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."I never thought about it as a young man, or as I grew older but once I became a grandfather, it was apparently clear! Today's verse speaks to us about being God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works and that they are prepared for us and we should walk in them. No matter which grandson I am holding, I can see my daughters and their husbands in their faces. The little ones are a creation of the two people, and it is amazing. As I sat and looked at our youngest grandson, I thought about today's verse and said to myself, this is what God must look like!! For we all are His Sons and Daughters and His Workmanship!! Next time you're feeling down or low, check out a mirror and see the face of God in us, and smile, then go and do the work He has created for us! Have a blessed weekend, images of God! peace, tom
Hebrews 10:24 NASB "and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds,"There's just something about it, when someone stands in your corner and encourages you, it can make all the difference in the world! Today, we read that we are to consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds! So often, today's verse is misunderstood to where we are to encourage others to love and do good deeds but if we take the time to read it, it says that in love and good deeds, we are to encourage others! Big difference! All through my childhood, whether I was playing basketball, baseball, soccer, etc., there in the stands sat my mom and dad. They came to cheer me on by their love and good deed of showing up. It made the difference in how I played, I felt loved. When was the last time we encouraged someone by an act of love or good deed, and made them feel loved?! peace, tom
1 Thessalonians 5:21 ESV "but test everything; hold fast what is good."As I plugged in the transformer, I began to test the parts of the operating train car I have and found some of the parts were no longer useful, and had to be replaced! Today's Word shares about testing everything and keeping what is good! There's nothing like getting things all set up and then you go to operate one of the cars on your model railroad only to have it not work, so I began to test each part, finding where the problem was. Many times in life, we will find ourselves not working to the best of our ability in Christ. We must begin to test everything and ask ourselves a few questions like: are we reading His Word daily, are we walking by the Spirit not the flesh, are we spending time in prayer, are we meeting with other godly men to hold us accountable?! Tough questions but when we are testing everything, we can find and keep what is good and get rid of the rest! What part of our life needs to be replaced so we can stay on the track God has set before us?! peace, tom
Ephesians 5:8 "for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light"
"Follow me!" While playing with my grandson, the flashlight became the guiding light as we walked from room to room! I went to turn the light on in each room but he said "no", he wanted to see the light shine in the darkness! Today's verse speaks to us about once walking in darkness but now we ARE the light in the Lord and we are to walk as children of the light! I couldn't help but think of today's verse as my grandson lead me around the house following where he was shining the flashlight. As we enter each room and the darkness was there, he became the guiding light for us to see. I wonder if we who know Christ, are shining in the darkness of the world. As we walked from room to room, I began to sing that old familiar song, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine! Maybe it's time we get our lights out from under the bushels and let the world see the Light of the world shine through us?! Peace, tom Luke 9:62 NASB "But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”"It was a wonderful day but then the thoughts of years past came back to me and could have ruined the moment! Today's verse shares about what Jesus said in regards to looking back, how once we started moving forward, we are not too look back! Satan is a crafty fellow who wants nothing more than to bring up our past, get us looking at our former ways, things that we have move on past! After spending a wonderful day with my wife, there was that voice in my head that said "ain't it a shame you weren't that loving to your wife all those years!" - if I listened to it, took it to heart, I would have become depressed and sad but I dismissed it because I let the past be the past and live in the divine moment, right here, right now! Don't let satan get us all out of shape with our past but let's stay fit for the kingdom of God by not looking back but looking forward! Let's be the better man today than we were yesterday! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
September 2024
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