July 20 Devos

Hope you all have fantastic days, and are gearing up for a sick poster party tomorrow night! Haha

Titus 1

10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others.

I really like the use of "useless talk". I think oftentimes we find ourselves forgetting the value and power of the spoken word, therefore, we abuse it continuously, sometimes unbeknownst to ourselves! Paul calls these people "rebellious", which is a pretty strong word when you know he's not talking about teeny-bopper rebellion. Also, following this verse, he points out the people who blaspheme and contort the Word for money. I thought it was interesting that he puts those that spread myths about the Word and something as "simple" as engaging in useless talk at the same level of wrongdoing! I guess it's also indicative of how, to God, sin is sin. Anyways, this verse challenged me to really watch what I say, for "useless talk" that doesn't cultivate anything, can be treated as as bad a sin as any other!

15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.

I really like that line. "Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure." It makes perfect sense, bc how can purity come out of something that is impure? What I retraced this line of thought back to was when Sam talked about how cultivating the Spirit in your heart is the only way to grow the Fruits of the Spirit. How can we gain these characteristics if we haven't the seeds to sow them, right? In the same way, we can't hope to lead pure lives, if there are still blatant impurities about us. I don't think Paul is asking us to be perfect, because we know that perfection lies in only Christ, but he's saying that we need to at least make an effort to eliminate all that is corrupt and is bogging down our lives. If there is a sin that you are struggling with, you can't pursue purity until you make an effort to make it clean.

- H

Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

Hello all

I don't know about you, but i'm getting pretty antsy and anxious about this whole missions trip. Personally, i'm a very negative person (i'm trying to flip to the good side) though being negative is totally depressing but it's got its advantages. Negative person can always pick out what is lacking, something i don't have, something i should've done. But coping from that is the problem. If i'm not mature enough to realize what i need to do and stop dwelling and move on, i think that is a real wise person (which i'm trying to be) but if not, that person is one negative person (aka me). So I remember PAstor Sam talked about peace long long time ago. That peace is something we have in the midst of all chaos. I wish we can have that peace in us knowing and fully trusting the Lord will do the work. Though as negative i am, I will be able to be at peace in the Lord knowing that I cant do anything but the Lord.

=) that'd be all for today.

GOOD DAY!

did the weatherman say it ws going to rain today?
i think not!
so i got soaked and harry potter in the theatres!

i did my devo on goodness
1 Chronicles 29:14-20

v14 "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand"
When i read this, i thought of :when your walking down the street and you see a homeless person so you gave him/her your change(sacrificing your snack money)and felt generous the whole day. Or when we hold the door for people we dont even know or if we spot people when they dont have enough money. These things we think that we the generous person, but it's actually God who is the generous one. he provided everything for us, and so we cant take the credit for giving it to others. Instead we should continue giving to people but think of it as God's grace your spreading around, not from our generosity.

The rest of the passage talked about giving it your all for God. When we're presenting ourselves to god we sohuldnt give him 50% of our worship or praise but everything that we have. Because giving him only 50% is like giving him dirt as our offerings. He deserves much more than that!

v10 "Praise the Lord your God" So they all praised the Lord the God of their fathers"

Hey everyone.
i spent the last two days in my bed.
im big lazy bum right now.
all i do is sleep and eat

today i read colossians 3
v2 says set you mind on things above, not on things on earth.
v5 says put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.

we need to always think of life in the long run. right now it may be easy to just live for the moment, but we have an eternity to think about. what we do now will determine how we will spend our eternity: with God or without God. we've got to set our mind on God and the eternal life we will spend with Him, not on our life on earth. therefore, any earthly nature (our sinful natures) should be put to death because God does not approve of it.
after reading this passage i thought that i needed to be more thoughtful. i should think more before i make decisions, and take actions upon those decisions. what would Jesus do? what would please God? i need to think about life after this life on earth. the eternal life where i would spend it with God in heaven.

Amen.

yena.an

im SICKKKKKK -.- >< ive been in bed all day
and i knew i still had to get my QT done, so i forced myself out........ uggh i feel so sick .......
kay im really dizzy and i have to go lie down, so im going to just put down what verse stood out to me .
Proverbs 9:10
i dont know if i can go to tomorrows meeting, i know its a big one, but i feel like crap .

I'm kind of in the same boat as Karen. I'm really frustrated and depressed about a lot of things right now, and I just wish I could be at peace.

I read Psalm 46 today, and the first verse stood out. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Before, I used to think that this verse meant that looking to God in times of trouble will provide me with a solution to the problem. Now that I read it today with the hope of finding peace, I realized that this verse is teaching me to seek peace in God, without asking for a solution. Also, I think that seeking God right away when a problem arises is the selfless and faithful thing to do. When I try to find peace all by myself and focus on finding a way out of the problem, it's as if I'm relying on only my strength to figure things out. God is always in our hearts, waiting for our call ("ever-present help in trouble").

Anyways, yah I kind of ripped my ear. Dang;;;


Genesis 3

So in this chapter, Adam and Eve are still in the Garden of Eden. The snake tempts Eve to try fruit from the Tree that GOD had forbade them to eat from. Eve tries it and gives it to Adam. They realize that they are naked and they hide from GOD. He punishes them.

So yeah, I kind of like reading this kind of stuff because it's like a story and it's not boring. What stood out to me was how this was the FIRST time in the bible you see GOD's dissapointment/fury/grudge. He banishes his first two creations into the world with punishments, now when women give birth it will be painful, and for men, it will be harder for them to harvest.



Yah;;;;;;;;;;; See you all tomorrow:)

hi everyoneee
im drained for some odd reason
and i almost forgot about devos today
so bad i know

but here it is

so today i started reading chapter 2 of 2 thessalonians

it was about lawlessness
he tells us that we should not let anyone deceive us in any way.
he says that Satan will try to proclaim himself greater than God and set himself in God's temple.
but we must remember what we have learned and stay faithful, for he will be punished and those who believe the lie will be condemned.

this was a scary passage.
i dont know what it was but it kind of scared me.
when he talks about the man of lawlessness who will lift himself above God and tell people lies.. i was like oh..my.. gosh...
but i think Satan does this everyday in very subtle ways- by telling us that money is more important, school is more important, fun is more important etc.
he lures us to put other things before God.. isnt this how he puts his ways about God's ways?
and it surprised me more that many times, i do give in and follow his temptations.
but everytime i should remember God and remember that he is above all things. and look to him for strength so that i may stand strong against the lies of the world.

im so tired
sorry i cant be at the meeting tomorrow
but im sure you guys will get lots of work done!!
you guys are such troopers

Hey team.
Sry for posting so late.
So i read ephesians 6.

"Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying Love"

This verse is full with peace and joy. If you think about it, it seems like there is no sin. I think God is telling us that there always will be peace in the world. We just have to think about it. Imagine a world with no sin, it will feel so good. No violence, or blood. Isnt that kool. Man i cannot wait untill we go to heaven. SO lets remember that God has always brought peace in the world. If we do, then there is peace.


AMEN....