Well-Being - Saturday, August 18, 2012 | Daily Word

Well-Being - Saturday, August 18, 2012 | Daily Word

Well-Being

I AM WELL IN BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT.

Daily exercise keeps my body flexible. Each step I take is a tribute to the life of God within me. I feel the renewing energy of God flowing through me with every movement and every breath.

My mind is exercised as well when I read, learn a new skill, or do mentally challenging games. I take advantage of every opportunity to maintain mental acuity.

My spiritual well-being is ensured as I connect with loving, positive people, regularly pray and meditate, and maintain an affirmative attitude.

I am centered in the presence of God, and the love of God flows through me to establish a complete sense of well-being. In body, mind and spirit, I am whole and well.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light.—Luke 11:34

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

Living In Community

August 18, 2012

Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn

READ: Philippians 2:1-11

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. —Philippians 2:4

Texas Ranger baseball player Josh Hamilton has battled the demons of drug and alcohol addiction. So when his team won their playoff series in 2010, Hamilton was concerned about the postgame celebration. He admitted that it’s not good for a recovering alcoholic to be in the midst of a “rainstorm” of champagne. But something beautiful happened. Instead of champagne, his teammates stocked the locker room with ginger ale so that Hamilton could be included in the celebration. What a great picture of community and putting others’ needs above your own.

This is what Paul meant when he commanded the Philippians to count others as more significant than themselves (2:3-4). Being united to Christ made the Philippian believers members of the same family and gave them a special bond. Thus their attitude toward one another was to be expressed in practical ways: unity in love, sacrificial service, and discovering how to help others even when they didn’t realize they needed help. The motivation for this type of normal Christian behavior is the example of Jesus Christ.

Like Hamilton’s teammates, let’s carry each other’s burdens. When we selflessly love our neighbors, we are expressing our love for God. —Marvin Williams

Beautiful lives are these that bear
For other lives their burden of care;
Beautiful souls are those that show
The Spirit of Christ wherever they go. —Abbott

The World of Ex-Change

The World of Ex-Change:

'via Blog this'

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

They Are Watching

August 17, 2012 — by Bill Crowder

• Subscribe on iTunes
• Play MP3 (Mobile)

Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Matthew 5:13-16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:16

Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 64-66

A professional football player’s team was having a terrible season, losing week after week. A reporter asked him how he stayed motivated to play hard and give his best even though his team lost almost every game. He responded, “My dad is watching that game. My mom is watching that game. You better believe I’m going to do my best!” He recognized that there was more at stake than just winning or losing. People were watching, and that reality always drove him to do his best.

Jesus reminded us of this reality in the early portions of His Sermon on the Mount. We should live our lives with a recognition that what we do is observed by those around us—and this visible life makes a statement about our God. He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). How does the light of our lives shine? By bringing the heart and character of Christ into the situations that engage us every day. By showing compassion as He did for the marginalized or forgotten. By displaying concern for the Father’s name and reputation.

People are watching us. The question is, What do they see?

Show me the way, Lord, let my light shine
As an example of good to mankind.
Help them to see the patterns of Thee,
Shining in beauty, lived out in me. —Neuer

Let your light shine—whether you’re a candle in a corner or a lighthouse on a hill.

Awareness - Friday, August 17, 2012 | Daily Word

Awareness - Friday, August 17, 2012 | Daily Word

Awareness

I AM AWARE OF GOD IN ALL OF LIFE.

As a child, I grew in awareness as I learned to walk, speak and read. Today my awareness is still expanding. Even as an adult with a lifetime of experiences, I am still learning new things.

I have learned, for instance, that I find exactly what I am looking for. So today I focus on finding God—and I do. I see God in all things.

I see God in the beauty of the sunrise. I experience God in the love I feel for my family and friends. I see God as creativity in the work of an artist. I hear God as enthusiasm and joy in the laughter of children at play.

With spiritual awareness, I take a deep breath and know God as all of life.

The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord, searching every innermost part.—Proverbs 20:27

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

Plugged In

August 16, 2012 — by Randy Kilgore

• Subscribe on iTunes
• Play MP3 (Mobile)

Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Isaiah 40:27-31

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. —Isaiah 40:29

Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 61-63

My wife was working at home on her computer recently when she suddenly noticed her laptop battery power was low and the computer was about to shut down. The computer was plugged in, though, so it shouldn’t have been using the battery. Following the laptop cord to the extension cord, she finally noticed that the extension cord was actually plugged back into itself instead of the wall outlet! She looked at me, amused, and said, “There’s a devotional in there somewhere.”

As she said it, I was reminded of a passage of Scripture on the power of God: Isaiah 40:27-31. Isaiah identifies the true and unending Source of strength from which we must draw ours—“the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth” (v.28). Then he speaks to those whose strength is ebbing, encouraging them to wait on the Lord to find their strength renewed (vv.29-31).

Jesus spoke of us as branches abiding in Him as the Vine (John 15:4-5). It’s a parallel to Isaiah’s powerful closing, which promises that if we’re plugged into God we will “run and not be weary, . . . walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31).

When we find ourselves weary and distressed, we need to plug into the true Source of strength and life.

We are more than conquerors
Through Him who loved us so;
The Christ who dwells within us
Is the greatest power we know. —Carmichael

The Creator of the universe knows no power failure.

Why Did Jesus Choose the Twelve Apostles?

Why Did Jesus Choose the Twelve Apostles?

Why Did Jesus Choose the Twelve Apostles?

Dr. Doug Bookman

In His early months of ministry in Israel, Jesus attracted great multitudes to hear His messages, receive His miraculous healings, and eat the bread He offered. Many of the Jewish leaders had rejected Him and claimed His power came from Satan (Matthew 12), but the people—for the most part—flocked after Him.
Then comes John 6.
Just as the Jewish leaders had done, the people sought a sign to prove Jesus was who He claims to be: the promised Messiah. What Jesus gave them instead was a teaching that many found far too difficult. He asked them to trust in Him completely and to submit to His authority as the "bread from heaven." Many who claimed to be His disciples rejected Him and left.
Since the multitudes had turned away from their promised Messiah, Jesus began a six-month period of private instruction with the Twelve, those He would prepare for the time of this death, resurrection, and departure. Previously, Jesus had not mentioned these events and certainly not in explicit terms, which explains Peter's shock and consternation (Matthew 16:22). But with Israel's rejection, the shadow of the cross grew ever larger.
Seeking seclusion to instruct the Twelve, Jesus retreated to what would then be known as "heathen lands." The leaders in Israel harassed him because of their animosity to His teaching, and no place within the region would allow Him a time of true private instruction. The Twelve Apostles would serve as the core of the future church, and this time would prepare them for—from their vantage point—the catastrophe of His death. His instruction during this time culminated in the Transfiguration, witnessed by the three members of the "inner circle," Peter, James, and John, an event that fortified their faith and left an indelible impression on their later ministry (see 2 Peter 1:16-21).