Daily Devotion

Hebrews 3:12-15
Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called `Today', so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin…Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

Fellowship is one of the tools God has given us to transform our lives!

Do you see in your own life the danger that this passage warns us about? Do you feel your heart growing hard toward God in some area? The best way to avoid a hardened heart is to get close to other people who have a real love for God. Really get into each other's spiritual lives.

Don't just hang out together. Rather, share with each other what is happening in your spiritual lives. Talk about what God is teaching you. Pray together. Study the Bible together.

If you can't find a group like that, then start one, even if you are not a leader or a strong Christian. Find someone else and just start making your spiritual lives the center of your conversation. At the end of your time together, suggest that you each pray together for each other's spiritual life.

You will find that this keeps your heart soft toward God and you will be growing spiritually as you "encourage one another

2 Things NOT to Say to God

There are two easy lies that we are tempted to believe and say in our hearts. These two questions addressed in Malachi get down to the heart of a sinner. And we find out that there are no shortcuts around the awe and fear of God.

“You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?” (Malachi 2:17)

Context

The book of Malachi is written to Israel at a time when they were losing faith that God was going to do what he said he would. Even the priests bought into the lie that God only asks them to do a few religious dances, and if they do the right steps they will receive all of the blessings of the covenant that God made with Israel.
Just like the Israelites, we are tempted to believe that God is a safe, and if you have the right combination you can just open him up and take out all of the gifts held within.
But God is furious when his creatures try to use him like this. He gets so angry that he tells the priests heʼs going to rub feces all over their faces (Mal. 2:3).

Lie 1: God is okay with evil.

God is not a tooth fairy who rewards certain actions but can more or less be ignored when goodies arenʼt involved. God is active, and he opposes the wicked.
God is also not the Oprah “spirit” who hovers around making people feel warm and fuzzy while being impotent in authority and judgement.

A lot of people joke about hell, not realizing that it may very well be their home in a short time. Godʼs judgement is real, active, and not to be fooled around with. The people in the time of Malachi thought they could just give God the leftovers of their time, treasure, and talent, and heʼd bless them with the stuff they wanted so badly. They really needed a changed heart.

Lie 2: Where is the God of Justice?

This question shows the heart of the questioner. This person assumes they are righteous and God should come give them all of the wonderful gifts they deserve—and judge all of those OTHER people who arenʼt like them. This person is arrogant and presumes to have more wisdom than God. At times, this person may be you.

2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is not slow to exercise his judgement. Heʼs patient, because so many of us are unrepentant and have stubborn, God-belittling hearts.

Righteous Fear and Awe

God paints a picture of the heart-change that needs to happen to really worship him. He tells us about Levi and tells us:

It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name.

(Malachi 2:5)

You need to hear this, so listen up—on a daily basis you and I both put created things like money, power, friends, notoriety, comfort, or convenience in the place of God. We donʼt fear God. We try to use him to serve the things our hearts really long for. And we approach God with this theology that is sweeping this nation that God owes us something.

It is only at the cross that we see the gravity of the sin that we take so lightly. God hates this sin so much that blood will spill—yet at the same time he is such a great God that he went to the cross to pay the price for your sin, and made way for the Spirit to change your heart.
Please take some time to look at the fruit of your life. Where are you making these statements with the way you act?

Pray that the Spirit would soften your heart, show you your sin, lead you to repentance, and let you stand in awe-full fear of this amazing God.

Don’t minimize your sin. Repent and believe the gospel every day.

Daily Devotion

Matthew 26:40-41
And [Jesus] came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, `So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak'.

Your spirit is willing; it wants to do what is right, to be pleasing to God. But your flesh is weak; you often find yourself unable to resist temptation, to live God's way!

In order to be able to live the godly life you desire, you must be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." You must use the tools God has given you to renew your mind. As Jesus says to Peter, one of the most significant tools He has given us is the tool of prayer.
As you begin spending time talking to God, focusing on your relationship with Him, taking the issues of life to Him, things begin to change. You find yourself more concerned with the things of God; you start placing more value on spiritual things; you find yourself caring less about the temptations of this world.
Don't sit around moping because you can't seem to change; and don't sit around waiting for God to change you some day. Pick up the tool of prayer that God has given you and start renewing your mind. The next thing you know, you will be experiencing "transformation"!

How Thankfulness Changes Our Hearts

For those of us in America, this is the week where we will devour massive amounts of food in the name of thankfulness. It’s easy to get caught up and distracted by planning, house cleaning, stressful travel, football games, overeating, avoiding certain family members, and shopping--all while pretending to enjoy Aunt Gurdy’s plumb-custard-quiche-ala-nasty.

Lets explore EIGHT WAYS thankfulness and gratitude can transform our heart from the inside out.

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1. THANKFULNESS RE-FOCUSES MY PERSPECTIVE
It’s easy to complain and point out problems, no one ever grumbles their way into a better attitude. Fortunately thankfulness can shift our focus to the blessings we’ve received from God. No matter how bad things get, in Jesus there is always reason to be thankful. It’s our responsibility to receive God’s gift and thank him.

2. THANKFULNESS INCREASES MY HUMILITY
Every blessing in our lives is a gift from God and not something we could have created or earned on our own. Everything belongs to God, and the only way we “have” something is because of his generosity. Because of the numerous blessings received, it’s easy for a feeling of entitlement to slowly creep into our lives and darken our hearts. Thankfulness turns on the light and recognizes God as the provider for our needs.

3. THANKFULNESS BUILDS MY FAITH
Gratitude recognizes the past work of God in our lives. When we remember God’s faithfulness, we position our hearts to trust him to provide for our future. God has given us everything we’ve needed, and he will continue to give us what we need. Developing the habit of being thankful also creates the capacity to trust God during the lean times.

4. THANKFULNESS CHANGES DISPAIR INTO JOY
There’s a lot of pain in this world and sometimes the ugliness is overwhelming and overpowering. Thankfulness doesn’t deny the evil, but it does open the door for joy to enter the scene. Lasting joy is a promise the world makes but can’t deliver, but when we remain in Christ, his joy is a gift for every believer.

When we develop the discipline of thankfulness, heart transformation is within reach. Here are four more ways gratitude leaves a mark in our lives.

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5. THANKFULNESS RE-ORDERS MY PRIORITIES
It doesn’t take a busy holiday season for our priorities to get out of whack. As youth, most of you have so much going on that it becomes really easy to major on the minors (issues) and slip into a selfish mode of living. A grateful heart is more open and aware of God’s work in our lives. Being thankful helps us understand what’s REALLY important in the grand scheme of things and moves us beyond the busyness of the moment.

6. THANKFULNESS CHALLENGES OUR WANTS
For all of us, the closer we grow to Jesus, the more we realize many of our “needs” are really about our “wants.” No, we’re not too excited to admit this, but this is a reality that we’ve become aware of in our spiritual journey. Thankfulness can turn our hearts into a fertile soil for contentment to grow into full bloom. Learning to be content in every situation is a measure of spiritual maturity. The power of “I WANT” is weakened in the light of “I’M THANKFUL.”

7. THANKFULNESS BREAKS THE SHACKLE OF ENVY
When our desires run wild and unchecked (and aren’t satisfied), the result is envy. Few things can rob one of peace like envy. When it gets really bad, envy also destroys community by morphing into jealousy. This happens when we lose our capacity to be excited for others. This is a particularly deep and dark pit of selfishness. When we’re trapped by envy and jealousy, the only way out is thankfulness for what we do have, and for what others have, too.

8. THANKFULNESS ENHANCES OUR COMPASSION
We have a lot, not just materially, but also spiritually. When we are thankful for the spiritual gifts we have in Christ, we can’t help but to have greater compassion for those who aren’t in God’s family.

Daily Devotion

Psalm 119:9-16
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your Word. With all my heart I have sought you; do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You… I will meditate on Your precepts, and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your Word.

God has given us His Word to help us renew our minds!

God did not tell us to change ourselves. He is the one who will change us. He tells us that the part of us that needs to change first of all is our minds. They need to be renewed. When that happens, transformation will follow.
And God went even further: He gave us a number of things that we can put into our lives that are like God's tools for the renewing of our minds. As you see in today's reading, God's Word is one of the most significant. We need to treasure it in our heart.
The world also offers you tools to help you focus your mind on its agenda and its values. What are some of the tools the world offers you?
When you choose to fill your mind with God's Word and reject the world's tools, then you will find God's Spirit using His Word to totally transform your life.

David VS Goliath - A Modern Retelling

A while ago I was up late watching college football while reading the Bible (like you haven’t done that before?). Somewhere in the middle of 1 Samuel, with the football game still blaring in the background, I fell asleep and this happened.

—
Elijah Musburger: Ladies and Gentlemen you are looking live at the Bank of Jerusalem Battlefield in South Israel where today history will be made. I’m Elijah Musburger alongside Isaac Herbstreit, happy to have you along for this historic matchup between Goliath of Gath and David of Bethlehem.
Isaac: Yeah, you’d have to be a simple Canaanite to be unaware of the storyline here. For over a month now, Phillistines Head Coach Isiah Thomas has been sending out his 6-time All-Star Goliath to battle an Israelite. The 9-foot, 6-inch giant’s continued taunting of the Israelites have earned him a record 114 personal foul penalties and a 12-battle suspension that is currently under appeal by the Phillistine Warriors Union. For more let’s send it down to our sideline reporters Jezebel Tafoya and Rahab Andrews.
Jezebel: Thanks Elijah. It was not until today that Goliath’s invitation to rumble was accepted by the unlikeliest of challengers from King Saul’s army. And if you haven’t seen David yet, well, picture a malnourished ewok shaved head to toe. For more on that story, let’s send it over to the Israelites sidelines and Rahab Andrews.
Rahab: The Babylon Sportsbooks have the over/under on this donnybrook at 10 seconds, but I don’t see it lasting that long. The youngest of 8 brothers, David the shepherd boy went undrafted coming out of Bethlehem University last Spring. Despite a slow forty time and a below-average Wonderlic score, his impressive defeats of a lion and a bear were enough to earn him a spot to fight for the Israelite army. King Saul took a chance on the young waterboy, who now finds himself facing the greatest challenge of his life. Back to you, Elijah and Isaac.
Elijah: Thanks Rahab. Before we start let’s remind everyone that today’s action is sponsored by Over Armor Sports Apparel, Promised Land Iced Tea with new ‘Milk and Honey’ flavor, and Delilah’s Supercuts, “a great haircut guaranteed or you can chain us to a temple pillar and poke our eyes out”.
Isaac: As Goliath steps onto the field of play, let’s go over the rules with our viewers. Rule Number 1 is that there are no rules. First person to kill the other person wins.
Elijah: Let’s also remind everyone what is at stake today, Isaac.
Isaac: Well Elijah, besides being able to hoist the coveted Golden Calf Trophy over their heads in victory, the winning side will also get to make slaves out of the losing team. I mean, can you imagine this in the NFL? Hard to picture Carson Palmer cleaning Tom Brady’s toilet.
Elijah: Actually I CAN picture that.
Isaac: Yeah, you know what? So can I. In any event, the stakes have never been bigger than they are today.
Elijah: Speaking of never been bigger, let’s not forget David’s initial response to hearing Goliath’s taunts of his countrymen. In a tirade that has gone viral on ThouTube this week, David referred to Goliath as an “uncircumsized Philistine”, choosing to mock the loins of the Warrior from Gath.
Isaac: Considering the size of Goliath’s sandals, that might have been a mistake.
Elijah: Indeed. But back to the action, Goliath has approached the 50-yard line and he doesn’t look particularly pleased with the diminutive size of his competition. I haven’t seen anyone this angry since the time I painted my wife’s kitchen with sheep’s blood.
Isaac: And you really have to wonder if rust will be a factor with the long layoff Goliath has had between gruesome murders. It’s been almost two years since he ripped off that remarkable streak of 61 consecutive dismemberments. He was untouchable until he lost a toe in a freak winepress accident, but he swears he’ll be competing at 100% today.
Elijah: Thanks for that history lesson, no doubt brought to us by Goliath’s Wikipedia Scroll.
Isaac: Don’t thank me, thank Alvah Gore for inventing the intercave system.
Elijah: Check this out, David is sprinting towards the 50-yard line to meet Goliath, and he’s waving around a small piece of leather that looks like, umm, an iPhone case?
Isaac: I think that’s a slingshot.
Elijah: Whatever it is, Goliath is bracing himself for what should be a quick kill and WOAH!!! David just hurled a smooth rock at Goliath that found it’s mark right between Goliath’s mangy, unkempt eyebrows! The stone appears to be lodged deep into the skull of the giant, who just collapsed to the ground like a sack of fossilized donkey excrement.
Isaac: I can’t believe what I’m seeing here! It is total bedlam in the Valley of Elah as David has toppled the mighty Phillistine. I hope you’ve got the DVR going folks, because you are witnessing history right now.
Elijah: David just mounted the Philistine giant and he’s standing triumphantly on Goliath’s chest. It looks like he just pulled a Sharpie out of his sandal and is signing his name on Goliath’s forehead. Wow, this could draw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Isaac: Yeah, he’ll be hearing from the league office this week to the tune of a 50,000 shekel fine for that display. Kids these days could learn from the old schoolers and act like they’ve felled a giant before.
Elijah: OH GREAT JEHOVAH, did you see that? David just took Goliath’s sword and cut the head off the dead giant! Now he’s holding it up and waving it around to the delight of the fans who made the trek all the way from Jerusalem to take in the action live!
Isaac: Blood is shooting from Goliath’s severed neck and showering the battlefield. This is a gruesome scene.
Elijah: David is making it rain! Pacman Jones would be proud.
Isaac: Call me Josiah Buck if you like, but like the Randy Moss fake-moon incident that will happen in a few thousand years, I find this to be completely unnecessary and a disgusting act.
Elijah: Necessary or not, it looks like David’s barbaric display has made an impression on the Philistine army. Faced with the prospect of doing David’s laundry for the rest of their lives, they’ve decided to make a run for it.
Isaac: And that is already turning out to be a bad decision with all that heavy armor they’re wearing. The Israelites – wearing their ultra-light and breathable Over Armor clothing – are chasing them down and savagely killing each and every one of them. And what’s worse, some of the fans have stormed out of their seats and have taken down the goalposts at the north end of the battlefield. This is why they should stop selling wine at halftime.
Elijah: Let’s throw it down to Rahab Andrews, who’s with a beaming David.
Rahab: David, what a win, how did you do it?
David: First I want to thank Yahweh, I couldn’t have done it without Him. You know, and all week long people were saying that we didn’t have a chance, that I was too small, and that I was a sissypants for writing poetry. I just wanted to come out here and prove everyone wrong.
Rahab: David, my gag reflex tells me that you’re holding Goliath’s bloody stump of a head only a few feet away from me. Can you tell us why you decided to chop his head off after you had already claimed the victory?
David: I don’t know, you know? I’m sure I’ll get fined for it, but I got no regrets. It was just a heat of the moment kind of thing, and sometimes I do that kind of stuff without thinking. Hi mom, hi dad, hi sheep, I love you.
Rahab: David, what happens next for you? Talk is already circulating about you starting a political career.
David: I don’t know. I just want to soak this one in. I’ve got nothing but love for Saul, and I don’t have any political aspirations right now. I just want to get this dude’s head mounted on my wall, go chill on the roof of my building and enjoy the view, restring my lyre, and maybe write some canonized poems.
Rahab: Well, there you have it: fearless warrior by day, sissypants poetry writer by night. Back to you, Elijah.
Elijah: Thanks Rahab. That’s all the time we have for today. We’ll be back next week live from Babylon as Daniel tries to defend his title at the National Lion Taming Championships. Stay tuned for your late local news, except on the West Bank where you’ll be watching an all new episode of CSI: Judea.
Isaac: Oh and one more thing. Wake up Derek. Wake Up. Hey, Wake Up.
—

At that moment I realized it wasn’t Isaac Herbstreit trying to wake me up

I told my wife all about the trippy dream I had just had and tried to convince her that I was not drunk on Listerine again. She suggested I try reading the Bible with the TV off, like a normal person.

But I don’t know, that was kind of fun.

Daily Devotion

John 14:15, 21, 23, 24; 15:10
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments…He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…He who does not love Me does not keep My words…If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.

Commitment to God is the natural expression of your love for Him!

You'd almost think that Jesus thought we were hard of hearing when you read this passage and see how often He makes this point. He knows how easily we miss it!
Jesus is saying to us that if you are struggling with your obedience to Him, you should not look for the solution in your willpower — look for a solution in your love-relationship with Jesus. The whole point of your Christian life is walking close to Jesus, not straining to meet a standard, or following Christian rules, or not doing certain things that you struggle with. Those issues matter, but they are not the heart of the Christian life.
The core of Christianity is for you to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. When that happens, obedience and commitment will not be something you have to force out; they will overflow as the natural result of your love.

A Must Read for Parents - The New Phone Sex (WARNING EXCPLICIT CONTENT)

 The New Phone Sex 

 Beyoncé’s Newest Song “Video Phone”

 They’ve been used to record fights at school. They’ve been used to film silly (and dangerous) stunts performed by teens. And according to Beyoncé’s latest song, “Video Phone,” camera-equipped cellular devices can also be employed for something far more sensual.
From her album entitled I Am…Sasha Fierce comes Beyoncé’s latest hit, “Video Phone.” In this song, the seven-time Grammy winner sings about meeting a guy in a club who wants to film her on his video-enabled cell phone.

Sound a bit forward? Promiscuous even? Well, take a look at how Beyoncé responds:


 You like it when I shake it
Shawty on a mission
What yo name is?
What? You want me naked?
If you likin’ this position
You can tape it
On ya video phone
Hustlers keep on talkin’
You like the way its poppin’
You sayin’ that you want me
Press record I'll let you film me
On ya video phone
Make a cameo
Tape me on your video phone
I can handle you
Watch me on your video phone
On your video video
If you want me you can watch on your video phone

The rest of her lyrics are just as racy, and the music video pulls no punches either. Throughout the storyline, Beyoncé is seen dancing in more skin than clothing. In several scenes, she holds various guns/rifles, rubbing them seductively. The video also features men (who have video cameras instead of heads) gawking at her every curve.

The song’s sexiness is doubled due to the fact that Beyoncé invited Lady Gaga to join in on the song and video. Instead of one talented hottie singing in skimpy threads, there are now two.




A Tainted Image?
Beyonce has always dressed risqué and used seductive dance moves in her performances. But let’s be honest—our world doesn’t really see a problem with this.
Some people equate Beyoncé with one of the more wholesome acts in show biz. After all, it was Beyoncé that once again won the hearts of America when she turned the stage over to Taylor Swift after the teenager’s acceptance speech was hijacked by Kanye West at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. It was for these kinds of gracious and selfless acts that Billboard named Beyoncé Woman of the Year in 2009. Further, Mrs. Knowles identifies herself as “a devout Methodist” and credits the name of her original trio Destiny’s Child to a passage from the Bible. The singer has also been known to pray before going on stage, asking God to “take away anything that’s not of You, God.”
The seductive message – and images – of “Video Phone” doesn’t line up real well with the clean persona and vibe Beyoncé has tried to emit during her career. If she’s not careful, these kinds of songs could taint her good image.

Wait a second; it appears as though the singer is as crafty as she is talented.

In an attempt to protect her real-life image, Beyoncé created an alter ego named Sasha Fierce that can be blamed for anything that comes out of Beyoncé’s professional life. (That fictional name also serves as the title of her current album I Am…Sasha Fierce.)

In this article, Beyonce explains the meaning behind this self-assigned multiple personality. “I have someone else that takes over when it’s time for me to work and when I’m on stage, this alter ego that I’ve created that kind of protects me and who I really am. Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I’m working and when I’m on the stage.”

So, let me get this straight. To shirk any unwanted responsibility in my life, I just need to create an alternate identity for myself?

Maybe Beyoncé can get away with shooting a sexy video on some guy’s cell phone in a club, and then blame it on Sasha Fierce, but what about her teenaged fans? Who can they pin their responsibility on?

Does Life Imitate Art?
Let’s hope not; the last thing we need is for our young girls to allow sexy videos to be shot of themselves on cell phones and then shared with a digital world. If our teenager’s lives imitate Beyoncé’s “art,” they might find themselves dealing with lots of unnecessary pain.

But I have a feeling that this song, produced by such a well-known star, has the potential to negatively influence a generation of young people who have already shown a lack of judgment when it comes to proper use of their cell phones. Today’s teens have been known to use their cell phones to browse online porn, and also to send sexy text messages and/or images to one another. And remember, we know that sexual messages promoted by our culture are having a distinct impact on kids.

Without a doubt, this song is being heard and the video is being watched. As of this writing, “Video Phone” was ranked on the bubble at #98 on Billboard’s Hot 100 (though it peaked at #65 and its music video has been viewed online several million times).

The good news is, in spite of the song’s exposure, if we play our cards right as parents and youth workers, we can help ensure that this sort of musical message has minimal effect on our kids.

Our Response as Parents and Youth Workers:

This song gives us yet another reason to monitor our teenagers’ music choices. Talking with them about their music not only shows you care about their choices, but it also gives you a chance to interject your concerns into the equation. Guard against lecturing in these moments; asking questions is usually the best route to helping a teenager make the right decision at the time, and down the road. For instance, you might ask:  

1. Do you like this song? If so, why?
2. What do you think the real meaning of this song is?
3. Why do you think Beyoncé would allow herself to be videoed on a stranger’s cell phone?
4. Do you think that’s responsible behavior?
5. How does this song intersect with what the Bible teaches?

Legitimate questions –asked in loving and not judgmental tones – almost always pave the road to influence. And that’s what we want with our teens.

This song also gives us a reason to re-address sexual temptation that must be avoided these days. Having sex isn’t the only way for kids to get in trouble with sex anymore. There are so many sexual problems for kids to avoid; in fact, the job of keeping kids sexually pure these days is a growing one. Take the particular problem mentioned in this song – shooting sexy videos of one another on cell phones. The technology to do this didn’t even exist four years ago (prior to most phones offering video cameras). Now that this danger has surfaced, it has to be added to the list of sexual temptations to be avoided.

In light of these kinds of songs and their dangerous messages, we may be tempted to take extreme measures – canceling their cell phone service, smashing their iPods, ripping down posters of Beyoncé from our kids’ bedroom walls.

OK, go ahead and take down the posters.

But what would those severe resources really teach our kids? That’s right, nothing. Let’s don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Let’s teach our teens how to properly, responsibly, and safely use their personal technology.

Like I said earlier, video-enabled cell phones weren’t even available in mass just four years ago. Teaching them how to handle today’s technology will prepare them for proper use of tomorrow’s tech.

Daily Devotion

Romans 8:30
…and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

When God decided to reach into your life and reveal Himself to you so powerfully that you would turn to Him in faith and be saved, He began an inevitable process that will end in your experience of glory!
Your glorification is so certain that Paul speaks of it here in the past tense—it has already been accomplished and now it just waits to happen. But what does it mean to be "glorified"? Paul has already described this glorification in verses 18-25.
It means that God is going to restore all things to the way He intended them to be all along, before sin and the Fall of mankind damaged all of creation. In place of this fallen world, God is going to create "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1-5).
In place of our fallen bodies, which so often struggle with sickness and pain and death, we will have unfallen, redeemed, glorified bodies (Romans 8:23). Where we now struggle and battle constantly with our fallen sinful nature that draws us away from God and into selfishness, when we are glorified we will leave that nature behind and live forever in unhindered love for our Lord and one another (Revelation 22:3-5).

You are not there yet, but God wants you to know that, that is the beautiful destination you are traveling toward in your relationship with Him. 

Daily Devotion

Romans 8:29
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.

God is actively pursuing transformation in your life. He is working in you to make you more and more like Jesus!

The "image of God" was severely damaged in the first man and woman when they disobeyed God, and we have inherited that damage. But God is working in your life to restore in you the "image of His Son."
As we saw in yesterday's reading, God will use every kind of circumstance and influence in your life to accomplish this inner transformation. If you choose to embrace what God is trying to do in your life (and not just grit your teeth grudgingly), then you will grow by leaps and bounds in your spiritual life and this inner growth will overflow in the way that you live.
But if you resist what God is trying to do in your life, then He will have to resort to more and more drastic means to get your attention and turn your heart back to what really matters. As a result, your spiritual growth will be stunted.
Many of the things God wants to change in us can mean painful lessons, but if you want to grow, you must respond to Him in all things. Let the lessons drive you deeper into Him.

Daily Devotion

Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

God is using every circumstance in your life to shape you and use you for His purpose!

It can be hard for us to accept this idea of God using "all things" in this way. We know that God uses His word to renew our minds and transform us. We can accept that God uses our fellowship with other believers in this way, and that His blessings in our lives assure us of His loving care for us. But "all things"?
                                          Yes!
It does not mean that God is pleased with all things. God grieves when you bear the brunt of someone else's sin. He is angry when a drunk driver slams into the car of someone you love. He knows from His own experience on the cross what that physical and emotional pain you are experiencing is like, and He groans with you.
But God sits on His throne above all these things, and He overrules even the most evil purpose and uses even those fallen, evil or senseless things to accomplish His good purpose in your life. That means that you can embrace any circumstance you find yourself in (good or bad) as God's opportunity for you to grow and to minister in His name to others.

Daily Devotion

Daniel 3:16-18
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

Faith and obedience to God are inseparable!

If you are trusting God, you are also obeying Him; if you are not obeying God, then there is a problem with your faith. When you get frustrated with your spiritual life because there is an area of sin that you cannot seem to overcome and you don't know why obedience is such a problem to you, you can be sure that it finds its root in unbelief. There is something that God has said that you do not believe.
Faith leads to obedience. You follow God because you trust Him. And in a beautiful upward spiritual spiral, obedience also leads to faith! When you step out and obey God, you inevitably find that God responds to your obedience with His faithfulness. Your experience of God's dependability then leads you to greater faith and greater obedience. And so your faith continues to grow.

Daily Devotion

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing.

To increase your faith, increase your communication with God!

This is one of the shortest verses in the Bible—just three words—but it is one of the most powerful keys to your Christian life. Your faith will flow from your current of communion with God. When you are experiencing God Himself in your life and His nearness is something that you are consciously aware of, what is there to fear in anything else that comes along?
Your living, interactive, personal connection to God makes your faith bulletproof. It is this kind of connection with God that Paul is talking about in this passage and that God is challenging us about today.
God wants you to not only have a special time with Him in His word and prayer each day; He also wants you to learn the practice of communicating with Him throughout the day.
Keep your awareness of the presence of God constant and you never need to worry that your faith might falter at the critical moment. Your faith will pour out of your experience of God.

If you are able to think while doing other things, then you are also able to pray while doing other things. Why not work on it today? Develop the habit of constant fellowship with God.

Daily Devotion

1 Peter 1:3-7
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the   proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ...

If you want to strengthen your faith, exercise it!

When someone wants to build muscle, they know it doesn't happen all at once. They don't go into the gym on Thursday evening at 7pm and come out at 8pm bulging with muscles. No, they know that it'll be a long steady process of exercise that makes them strong.

In the same way, God's letting you know that He allows annoyances, difficulties and trials along life's road to gradually strengthen your faith. When difficulties come along, don't view them as obstacles to your faith, but rather as opportunities from God for you to trust Him and grow.

Haunted House…Haunted World

You went trick or treating - right? Do you remember how excited you were as you put together your pirate/ghost/Teletubbie/Toy Story/Barbie costume and prepared your appetite for a boatload of candy and a sugar coma? And walking around the neighborhood to the sights and sounds of graveyards, spider webs, and pumpkin-filled porches? My personal favorite decoration is the witch that smashed into the tree…but that’s just me.

So what’s a person to do when you’re past the appropriate trick-or-treat age because you can now grow facial hair or the people giving out candy might mistake you for a mom? Well, you can find a costume party and go as something genuinely terrifying like Lady Gaga, or you can do what millions of teens shell out a good chunk of change to experience: a haunted house.

I don’t mean a real one, but one of the thousands that are professionally designed to thrill and chill you as you walk through each room. You find out quickly which of your guy friends can take the spooky environment, and which ones scream like little girls even though they are 6’4” and 220 pounds. Yep, personally witnessed that one at a haunted house called “Frightmare.”

Have you ever wondered if any of that haunting stuff is real? In most of the Halloween attractions it’s obvious that we have a lot of makeup and actors who didn’t get a part in  

Paranormal Activity, but is there anything inside you that believes that there is an unseen world of spiritual beings that are just as real as the intense screeching you hear from the groups of girls at the haunted houses?

And…if it is real, should that impact the way we live our everyday lives? Think about it, if I gave you a pair of glasses that allowed your eyes to pull back the curtain that hides the paranormal dramas being played out all over the world, what might change about your worldview?

Guess what? Those “glasses” actually exist. They aren’t physical frames, rather they are spiritual lenses—and once you put them on, it becomes the filter by which you see everything. Are you ready to see things differently? Then meditate on this passage for a minute:

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.  For weare not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12).

In other words, this world is haunted. Not by ghosts or ghouls, but by “evil rulers and authorities in the unseen world”—i.e., Satan and his host of demonic spirits. Although they are invisible to our physical eyes, the war they wage is as real as it gets.

And what is this war all about? Simple. in a word...souls. Satan haunts and hunts this world with a two-fold strategy. First, he wants to deceive, distract, and if he can, destroy any man, woman, and child who is fighting for the cause of Jesus Christ by sharing the gospel message every chance they get. Basically, he wants to trip you up so he can shut you up—then your witness will be worthless.

Second, Satan has organized his army to keep people who haven’t trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation from hearing the good news. He uses the media, technology, and the pursuit of power/pleasure to drown out the plea from our Heavenly Father to find an authentic and fulfilling life in serving and loving him.

When you keep these facts in mind and wear your “glasses” as you go about your day, it really feels like you are walking through a haunted house. Around each corner is an opportunity to face the enemy and courageously move forward with your mission despite his attempts to frighten or discourage you. You see your friends who don’t know Jesus in a different light—they are trapped and they are targets…you have the most powerful message of freedom in the universe.

I totally *get* that people go to haunted houses for the rush and the fun, but I invite you to take on this haunted world. Pray each morning that God would cover you with his armor, and that you would find opportunities to boldly share his love and the gospel message.
There’s no admission charge. And the thrills you’ll get from pulling people out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light will make your journey through this life more exciting than you can imagine.

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

The Halloween season definitely presents a great opportunity to bring up spiritual topics. Talk to your friends about whether or not they believe in an unseen world, and what it consists of. Pray for God to open a door to talk about the real nature of that world, and why it is critical that we trust in Christ.

Accelerant: Feed the Fire

Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them 
 (Mark 4:15).

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
(Romans 16:20).

If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes 
 (2 Corinthians 2:10-11).

Daily Devotion

1 Peter 1:18-21
…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Your true value is seen in what God was willing to pay for your freedom!
Regardless of whether or not you value yourself, acknowledge this: God values you. Look in the middle of the passage above. "[Jesus] was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you…" He came into this world "for the sake of you." In this passage, Peter writes off silver and gold as "perishable things" and says these were not what God paid for your rescue. Rather He paid "with precious blood…the blood of Christ."

There is no way you can read this passage and miss God's message to your heart today: "I value you so highly!"

Daily Devotion

Romans 1:1, 5-6

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God … to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.

You have a clearly designed part to play in what God is doing in this world!

In this passage, Paul knows that God "called" him to be an apostle; he knows that he was "set apart" for a special purpose that God had designed him for. As we read the Bible it is so obvious to us that Paul was right about this. He played such a crucial role in laying the foundations of the early group of believers. Through him the gospel spread throughout the Roman world.
But notice the last clause of the passage above, where Paul says, "…among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ." Paul is saying to us: "I was called for a special purpose God had designed me for; and you also have been called for a special purpose that God has designed you for."

Does your life have meaning? God is giving you a resounding YES today. Where will you find that meaning? Ask God to begin to unfold to you what He has designed you for, how He wants to use you in the lives of others.  God wants you to know His purpose, so ask confidently!