Seeking God

1 Kings 19:4-18

What’s the biggest challenge in your life? God has something to say about it. Elijah felt lonely. He felt like he was the only prophet left, and God spoke to him. God showed him 7000 prophets and took Elijah to Elisha. God isn’t quiet. He sent His Holy Spirit to help you through life. So when you have a problem, bring it to God. Now, I know I’ve heard this message a lot of times before and wondered why God never seems to respond? We see in today’s scripture that God took Elijah to an isolated cave before He spoke. You see Jesus went to be alone to pray. Moses met with God on Mount Sinai. We can meet with God when we take ourselves away from distractions and focus on Him. Hebrews tell us that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. How diligently do you seek Him?

Listen and Learn

Genesis 20: 1-18

Abimelech could have slept with Sarah. But he didn’t because God kept him from doing so. Many times we are about to do things that seems right and something inside us tells us it’s not. You see, within all of us, we have the Holy Spirit who teaches us. John 14:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us and bring to remembrance that which we have learned. When you are about to sin, the Holy Spirit will let you know. Today’s practical message is to listen to the Holy Spirit. How do you know when it’s the Holy Spirit? We have to live in integrity. Abimelech was a good man who made a mistake in the integrity of his heart. As a person of integrity, we are willing to listen to God. Secondly, we have something Abimelech did not have: The Word. John 14:26 tells us that Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance that which we have learned. So we have to learn. That’s why it’s important to do your daily devotion everyday, and to study the Word. That’s why it’s important to go to church and learn from your pastors. The Holy Sprit is our guide to keep us on the straight and narrow path. We must learn to listen to Him.

Secret To Success

Psalm 78: 65-72

Everybody wants to be rich and successful. I’m working hard in high school and, later on, university not because I like school. These are steps to success. However, so many people finish university and end up jobless. How do I make sure I end up what I wanna be? I look at someone who already made it big. King David went from being a shepherd to a mighty king. How did he do it? We find out in today’s scripture. “So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.” Man may never know what you do, but God does, and it is God that grants the answer to your prayers (proverbs 16:1). Integrity is a big ingredient in the soup of success.

Famous Last Words

2 Timothy 4:9-18
At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. —2 Timothy 4:16
Just days before his death, Gandhi wrote, “All about me is darkness; I am praying for light.” By contrast, evangelist D. L. Moody’s last recorded words were, “This is my triumph; this my coronation day! It is glorious!” In both cases, their last words were significant expressions of their perspectives on life, death, and everything in between.
Aside from some personal greetings, Paul’s last recorded words dealt not with what he had done in life and ministry but rather with how he viewed people. What makes it even more significant is that some of those words were about people who had disappointed him.
Regarding an individual who had harmed him by opposing his ministry, Paul trusted the Lord to deal with him. And when considering those who had abandoned him when imprisoned, he asked others to handle them graciously: “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them” (2 Tim. 4:16). His last words were those of compassion and kindness instead of harshness and retaliation.
Will our last words show the grace of Christ or the bitterness of a wounded heart? Our answer should impact the words we use today. — Bill Crowder
What have you written on memory’s page?Deeds that were done in the Master’s name?Words that were spoken to spread His fame?What have you written today? —Anon.
What words will be your legacy?

-taken from Daily Bread. www.rbc.org

When The Going Gets Tough...

2 Corinthians 4: 7-15

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed,” (Vs. 8-9). This does not sound like easy street to me. It seems like the hard-knock life is what we are called to live. Jesus said that people will persecute us for his sake. However, if you look at all those phrases, there is a ‘but’. Hard-pressed BUT not crushed; struck down, BUT not destroyed. God promises to bring us through the test because He loves us. Psalms 23 says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil BECAUSE You are with me.” Everyone will go through hard times: friend issues that really depress us, family problems that stress us out, assignments that make us want to shoot ourselves (believe me, I know). I want to encourage you today saying there is that promise. We will go through hard times, BUT God will deliver us from them all. Somebody once said, “What does not kill you will only make you stronger.” I’m here to tell you that the trials will not kill you because you serve a God who is bigger than them all.

Why Do Your Leaders...?

2 Corinthians 13:1-14

Why do your leaders do what they do? Why do they keep pushing you to do what you sometimes don't wanna do? I know at my church, my pastor and youth pastor continually urge me to keep growing, to take more responsibility. Why? Paul wasn't telling the Corinthians to constantly test themselves. This was not so Paul could look good, but for their benefit. He said, "For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong." Leaders in the church, according to the book of Titus, don't seek their own. They labour for you. So listen to them. If you don't have a church, find one where the leaders expect a high standard of character. Also, follow Paul's advice and check yourself regularly. Test your life to see if it lines up with biblical expectations. Examine your motives, your love for prayer, your passion for souls. Where you find yourself lacking, pray to God to fill you up and He will answer you in Jesus name. Amen.

Why Praise ?

Psalm 36

Why do we praise God? The bible says to praise Him in the morning and in the evening, but why? Do we praise God for what He done for us? Well...yes. We thank Him for all that He has done for us, but that's not all. Sometimes we look around and it's hard to see what God has done, but we are still expected to praise. Obviously, blessings are not the only reason we praise. We praise God for who He is. In today's psalm, King David praises God for His steadfast love. "How precious is your steadfast love, O God!" (Vs 7) David understood that the characteristics of God never change so we always have a reason to praise God. So when the bible says to give thanks always and for everything (Eph 5:20) we can, despite what things look like. Amen

Don't Judge

Romans 2:1-11

This talks about judging others. Don't. It's not that hard to understand, but it's hard to do. So many times, you see people dressing a certain way, or doing things a certain way and you just judge that they are sinners. That's not your call. Don't act like you haven't done it, cuz everyone does it; it's human nature. But as christians, we are not to live by human nature, we live by the Word of God. The Word of God tells us that when we judge others, the judgement falls on us. Nobody is perfect and if we pick at everyone's flaws, we will never be happy with anyone. So what do we do? We pray for people. Also (this is from my experience) go up and talk to people. When you talk to people, you find out why they do things and it makes everyone happy.

Promises

Matthew 14:6-16

King Herod made a promise and because of his promise he killed a prophet of God. Was that wrong? The bible says in James 5:12, “let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and let your ‘no’ be ‘no’.” So when you promise someone something, you have to go through with it even if it requires you to sin, right? Wrong! The bible also urges us to get rid of anything thing that causes us to sin and this includes even our promises. As Christian youth, we must be careful of the promises we make. Many times it is tempting to promise somebody “anything” as King Herod did, but you never know what they will ask. And if you do make a promise that will require you to sin to fulfill, cast away that promise. Forget your pride and remember that sin is wrong, no matter the excuse.

Abide

John 15: 1-11

What it mean to abide? It mean to stay, to live, to spend a lot of time with. Jesus said to abide in Him and in His Word. That means we live in Him. We live in His spirit. It’s not enough to be a Christian on Sundays and then you do your own thing the rest of the week. Abiding in Jesus is not always easy, but we do it because that is God’s command.. It is how we become fruitful Jesus is the vine and unless we are constantly connected to the vine, we cannot bear fruit. When we separate ourselves from the vine, the bible tells us we wither and are tossed into the fire. A lukewarm Christian is a useless Christian. Revelations tells us that God spits out lukewarm Christians. Abide in Christ-stay in Him because there is no other way to produce fruit.

Fellowship and Security

Romans 1: 8-17

What’s the goal of fellowship? What’s the point of church every Sunday and all the Christian events? Why does Hebrews 10:25 say, “Do not forsake the gathering of the righteous”? Romans 1:12 tells us. Paul tells the Romans that he wants to meet with them that they may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. When believers get together, they strengthen each other through prayer and even just the joy of fellowship. Nobody can truly understand a believer except another believer. The life we are called to live is just so foreign to those who don’t know Christ. That’s why we gotta stick together. 1 Peter 5:8 says the devil seeks whom he may devour. Well, who can he devour? A lion on the hunt doesn’t like to attack a herd of gazelles. It seeks the one on its own. You are strengthened when you take time to regularly meet with other believers. So maybe it’s time to make some new friends.

Life of a Soldier

2 Tim 3:1-7

I love the bible books from Romans to Jude because they teach the modern Christian how to live. Today, we learn about being a soldier. Have you seen videos of soldiers at war? It’s not always pretty. Soldiers have to live a disciplined life. Verse 4 says, “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” Many times it’s tempting to commit a little sin- a really small, itsy-bitsy baby sin- but you cannot get entangled in that. One thing I know is that sin is like a snowball rolling down a snowy hill. It always gets bigger until you lose your ability to fight. We make enough mistakes already without adding deliberate sins to the list. Be disciplined as a soldier. Do your spiritual training- your pushups and 50-km hikes- and avoid spiritual donuts and triple fudge delights, but good as they may feel, they are not good for you.

Finding Jesus

John 6: 22-34

Wow. You know what amazes me? The people went looking for Jesus. Verse 24 says, "When the crowds saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernum, seeking Jesus." Why can't we be like this crowd. This was the crowd that saw a miracle, five thousand were fed on five loaves and two fishes. But they did not settle with a miracle. They decided to learn more about the man who could perform these miracles. People, if's not enough to go to church on sundays. You have to know God on a personal level, which requires you to spend time with Him. Seek Him in His Word, seek Him in the fellowship of other believers. When the crowd found Jesus, they asked Him, "What shall we do that we may work the works of God?" What can you do to do the works that God requires? Look for Jesus, have a personal relationship with Him. You realize that Christianity is the only religion (as far as i know) that gives us the chance to relate with God personally. Take advantage of that.

Route to Growth

2 Peter 1: 1-11

From today's bible reading, we see there's more to christianity than just faith. Faith is the first step: you get saved through faith in Jesus as your lord and saviour, but you don't stay there. After salvation, you make a conscious decision to live virtuous. It's a conscious decision to live for God, and you begin to grow. Then you add knowledge. You meditate on the Word daily and you learn more by studying. Then you add self-control. self-control can also be described as discipline. You set a routine to read your bible, to study your bible, to pray and sometimes to fast. You might have to sacrifice a hour of Madden 09, but that's one aspect of growth. After you set a schedule for yourself, you stick to it. It's called perseverence or consistency. Next, you step out and walk in brotherly kindness. You let people see Christ reflected in how you live your life. And becuase you now know so much about the Word, you know that the greatest reflection of Jesus is love. Now these steps are not necessarily one after the other but as you walk them out, you grow. You become more secure in your salvation, or as my bible puts it, "make you call and election sure." Are you 100% sure of your salvation? Can you face skeptics and still know for a fact that you will go to heaven? If not, you got a lot of growing to do

Hardcore Praising

Psalm 42

King David tells us in today's bible reading about the things going wrong in his life. He is oppressed by his enemies, has a mortal wound and basically is not having a glorious day. Yet he refuses to let himself feel down. "Hope in God, for i shall praise him, my salvation and my God." David recognized thata God was still worth praise though circumstances were hard. Hebrews says the Old Testament is useful to us as examples. Let us be like David today. A true test of faith is when you can praise him in the hard times, because you KNOW tht God will deliver you. Always remember what God has done for you in the past, and your faith is strengthened to face today. Remember the old school song, "count your blessings, name them one by one. And it will suprise you what the Lord has done."

Find Your Own Armour

1 Samuel 17: 38-49

David had a goal: to kill Goliath, the phillistine. That goal was the same as all of the other men in the Israelites army. Sure, the rest of them were scared and did nothing, but they did have the same goal as David. Saul tried to put his armour on David, but it didn't fit. Saul's sword was not gonna help David beat the giant. David's own weapon (the slingshot) was what he had to use to kill the giant. You know, many times in life we try to wear other people's armour. I know what it's like to have a role model and want to be exactly like them, but we cant. Everyone has their own destiny. God didn't make any two people to be the same. We all have different DNA, different fingerprints, and different destinies. Nobody's armour will fit you. You have to find your armour, your weapons and serve God in the way you are called. Now this doesn't mean you don't read you bible and follow the basic precepts of Christianity, but you have your own ministry. Fufill YOUR ministry, not your dad's minstry or your pastor's minstry. I pray that God will help you find what your call is and He will help you to walk in it. Amen

Friends

Proverbs 17: 8-17

Today's passage talks about friendship. "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Many times, i have gotten frustrated with my friends and decided to just leave them alone. That's not wht the bible says. You see, i have friends who are there for me no matter what. I sometimes wonder what would happen to me if i needed them and they were not there. So it only makes sense that i should be that kind of friend as well. That's how the bible says it should be. What friends do you have tht you have let down? I have some, and it hurts thinking about how i've hurt some friends. Don't be the cause of pain to your friends, because how does that reflect God? Just think about it... what kind of friends do you want? Be that kind of friend to somebody.

Of Borrowers and Givers

Psalm 37: 16-24

"The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives."I love the way the psalms uses contrasts. It tells you what not to be and then what to be instead. That's what makes it so easy to understand. Verse 21 says, "the wicked borrows but does not pay back." The dictionary defines borrowing as, "to take or to obtian something with with promise to return it or its equivalent." With borrowing, there is a promise to return. If you break that promise, you disobey the bible. James 5:12 tells us to let our "yes"be "yes." That is a command not a suggestion. If you borrow you must py back and if you know you cannot pay back, then don't say or even imply that you will. Now, on the flip side, the righteous dude gives. He doesn't expect a return because (s)he understands the biblical principle that, "if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones... he will certainly not lose his reward." Nothing is too small to give; not a cup of cold water, not a hug, not even a smile. Whatever you have, give.

God's Word is Fufilled

1 Kings 7: 1-9

God's Word is always fufilled. When He promises you something, the only force big enough to hold it back is you. The kinng's captain found tht out the hard way in today's passage. God promised, through Elisha, that food would be abundant the next day in Samaria. Because the situation made God's promise look impossible, the king's guard spoke in contradiction to the Word of God. As a result, he did not participate in the blessings. In order to have God's promises fufilled in your life, you must believe. The bible says, "without faith, it is impossible to please God." You must speak based on your belief becuase there is power in the tongue. What has God promised you? Ask your parents because sometimes God prophecies to them about you. My mom knew that i would end up serving God actively even before i gave my life to God. Read your bible. If you are going through something and you read a verse that promises relief, take that verse to heart. Believe it. Know the promises of God and live as though you already have them

The Lord Has Need Of It

Luke 19: 28-40

Many people have heard this story before. This is the tale of Jesus' triumphant entry. But before He entered the city, He needed to score a ride. Today, i think we should follow the example of the owners of the donkey. These people were willing to give up their donkey just because "the Lord hs need of it." We should learn to be so willing to give to God. Now God may not call for your donkey (if you have one, you seriously need an upgrade) or computers or $500 bikes. What he may call for is your time, your energy. The Lord has need of youth willing to tell their friends about Him. The Lord has need of youth willing to serve in a local church. The Lord has need of youth willing to devote time to learning doctrine; youth who know how to defend their faith. The Lord has need of wise youth. Can He count of you?

How Much Is God Worth?

Phillipians 3: 1 - 10

Paul was rich before he met jesus. He was a pharisee, well brought up, followed the law and was well respected. He gave it ll up to follow Christ. Daniel, in the Old Testament, sacrificed delicious food that was offered to other god and he gained knowledge ten times smarter than his peers. Joseph gave up the luxury of Potifah's house and the pleasure of sex with potifah's wife and he gained power over all of Egypt. My point is that we all gotta sacrifice something to pick up the cross. As for me, i've sacrificed an extra half hour of sleep to do my devotion daily. I have sacrificed populatiry of fighting with my friends because of the God that i serve. I'm not perfect but i'm learning that in order to pick up the cross, we gotta drop something. Our hands are too full of things that Paul refers to as rubbish. When we understand the "surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus," we consider our sinful habits as useless. What is it you know you should give up for God? Is it sacrificing a little popularity to go talk to a lonely kid? is it an hour of madden 09 so you can study the bible? Is it not being able to buy an iPod so you can pay tithe? Think about it; count the cost. Ï have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that i may gain Christ and be found in Him...[having] the righteousness from God that depends on faith."- Apostle Paul (Phillipians 3: 8-9)

What does it mean to be saved?

Wednessday, September 10
Hebrews 11: 1-14

What does it mean to be saved? In the old testament, the people had to offer sacrifices every so often, and they had to do it at their expense. These sacrifices covered their sins but could not take it away. Jesus came to save us from our sins. He took them way, once and for all. Salvation is free and it is final. This passage says that we are made perfect through Jesus' sacrifice. This does not mean we are perfect people (no human is), but it means we have a clean slate with God. As far as God is concerned, we have a perfect record because Jesus' blood cleaned our record. Everytime we repent, we are clean again and again. Sometimes, we just have to meditate on what Jesus did for us at the cross. When we understand that His death and resurrection gave us all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, we always have a reason to praise Him; What does it mean to be saved? It means always having a fresh start with God.

Activitely Doing Good

Tuesday, Spetember 9
Psalms 11

"The Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.... He loves righteous deeds; the righteous shall behold His face."The foundations of Christianity are faith and love; faith tht God is, and in the resurrection of Jesus, and love for your fellow man. But Christianity also calls for righteous deeds. Today's scripture say the Lord tests the righteous but what criteria does He use? When we get to heaven, and believer are getting crowned, what will be the basis of acknowledgement? Good deeds. When you got out of your way to do a good deed, God honors that. Actively doing good deeds is part of Christianity. It's not something we do if we feel good. When Jesus lost his cousin, John the baptist, and he wanted to go to the mountaianside to mourn, the people followed him and he ministered to them. Galatians 6:7 says, "whatever you sow, that also shall you reap." When you do good, you reap blessings from God, becuase He loves righteous deeds

Wise or Foolish; Righteous or Wicked

Sunday, September 7
Proverbs 15: 1-9

Ther are two contrasts in this scripture: wise or foolish, righteous or wicked. Are you wise? Wisdom comes from God. There are many smart people who are not wise. A wise person knows how to get the most good out of a situation. The dictionary describes wisdom as, "the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true coupled with good judgement." You don't have to be 50 years old to be wise. King Solomon wad a young man when he asked God for wisdom. Are you wise? Ask God for wisdom. The second set of two are the righteous and the wicked. Unlike the dictionary definition, righteousness is not about deeds. It's about surrendering to God. It's about making Jesus your lord, not just your savior. Today's passages show us two contrasts. The fool does not lead a happy life. He stirs up anger and despises teachings. He cannot prosper. The wicked guy is not happy either. His money brings trouble and God rejects his offerings. Today is sunday, and there is no better time to search yourself. Ask God to show you where your heart is. Are you righteous? Have you surrendered to God? Are you wise? God is there willing to grant you His righteousness and wisdom if only you ask.

Pursue Peace And Let The Bible Change You

Saturday, September 6
Hebrews 12: 5-15 (NKJV)
“Pursue peace with all people.” God calls us to live a life of peace. Jesus did it. The only time He got angry was a righteous anger for the temple of God. As Christians, we are called to be followers of Christ, or imitators of Christ (Eph. 5:1). In the past few months, I have been noticing a change in me. Since I committed my life to God, I have become more peaceful. I have allowed myself to be chastened by the Word of God. Many times, I would be going through an issue and my devotional that night would relate to what I did wrong to bring about that problem. Many times I would get angry at God for asking me to change certain things about myself, but I let His Word change me. The road of Christianity is a path leading to perfection, just like Jesus. My youth pastor always says, “You might be the only bible some people will ever read.” To be a truly accurate depiction of God’s love, we have to let His Word chasten and change us. Pursing peace is not easy, especially when you have those people that keep pushing you towards conflict, but you have to pray to God to help you. Read your bible and let its message speak to you. Live your life by the Word and God will help you in Jesus name, Amen.