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The Word of God says:

Acts 4:13-14 (NASB) ¹³ Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

My reflections on the Word of God:

When a person becomes a Christian there should be visible evidence of a changed life. The more time spent with Jesus the more our lives will reflect that we have been with Jesus, and that He has changed our lives.

What did the religious leaders see in Peter and John? Let’s look at what they saw evidence of them doing.

Acts 3:6 (NASB) ⁶ But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”

When questioned about this incident, and for preaching the gospel of the risen Christ, Peter and John told their story.

Acts 4:8-10 (NASB) ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,⁹ if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.

The religious leaders saw in Peter and John boldness and power. They had seen this before, and it was in Jesus.

Just like being with Jesus made a difference in the lives of Peter and John, being with Jesus will make a difference in your life. It is important to observe that Peter and John’s boldness and power did not come from education and training. It came from being with Jesus.

Psalm 5:3 (NASB) ³ In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

Psalm 55:17 (NASB) ¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the privilege of being able to have unlimited access to Your throne room in heaven.

Father God, by faith, I pray that others will be able to see in me the confidence that I have in You. I pray than any influence that I have on others will be because of evidence that I have been with Jesus.

I Am Thine, O Lord (click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_I_Am_Thine_O_Lord.html

The Word of God says:

2 Timothy 1:6 (NASB) ⁶ For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

My reflections on the Word of God:

The Apostle Paul had a very close relationship with Timothy. Notice how Paul addresses Timothy in the two letters he wrote to him.

1 Timothy 1:2 (NASB) ² To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Timothy 1:2 (NASB) ² To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

When Paul wrote the second letter to Timothy Paul was near the end of his earthly journey. We can view what Paul said to Timothy with that knowledge in view.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NASB) ⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;⁸ in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul the Apostle, the mentor of his son in the faith, continues to encourage Timothy to the very end of his life on earth. We all need friends in Christ who will encourage us. The child of God should never give in, and never give up.

1 Timothy 1:3 (NASB) ³ As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,

We all need member of our church family to help us. Everyone needs a least six members of the church that you are close to. These people can serve as mentors in your life. There are times when we need to be encouraged to stir up the gift up God that is within us. When time get tough, we need someone to encourage us to not give up. There is a time to remain when the going gets tough. Our God is bigger than any obstacle we will ever face.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the spiritual gifts that You give to each of Your children.

Father God, I pray that I will prove to be a faithful servant of God all of the days of my life, and that I will be an encouragement to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Follow On (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_Follow_On.html

The Word of God says:

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NASB) ¹⁵ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,¹⁶ making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today and for the remainder of the week we will be focusing on the topic of “The Stewardship of Your Life”.

Our focal passage for today is an encouragement to spend our time wisely. The thing about time is that we all have the same amount, and you don’t have to work to get it. Time is a gift from God, and as stewards of this gift, we should use it wisely.

The wise Christian will recognize that we only have a limited amount of time to do God’s work in the world. Therefore, how we spend our time is of utmost importance.

Every step we take in life, all of our waking hours, should be guided by the knowledge that only what we do for Christ will last.

Ephesians 4:1 (NASB) ¹ Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Colossians 2:6 (NASB) ⁶ Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

Galatians 5:16 (NASB) ¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

1 John 2:6 (NASB) ⁶ the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the gift of time. Lord, I pray that by faith I will walk wisely every day of the rest of my life.

Father God, I thank You that wherever You send me that I will never have to walk alone. I cling to Your promise that You will go with me all the way.

Never Alone (Click on link for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_Never_Alone.html

Poem by Charles Thomas Studd “Only One Life”

http://www.ninetyandnine.com/Archives/20081027/devotion_1.htm

The Word of God says:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB) ¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?²⁰ For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Yesterday we read from the bible that the earth belongs to God. Today, we read from the bible that every Christian belongs to God.

Each of us is a creation of God, and made to live with Him forever.  However, sin marred the plan in the Garden of Eden. Because He loves us so much, He provided the remedy for our sinful nature. He redeemed us by sending Jesus to pay our sin debt.

Genesis 1:27 (NASB) ²⁷ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Isaiah 59:2 (NASB) ² But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

I am so glad that God didn’t leave me and you in our sinful condition. God loves us so much that He bought us with the precious blood of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 7:23 (NASB) ²³ You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB) ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,¹⁹ but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

We belong to God, and we should use our bodies to glorify Him.

Matthew 5:16 (NASB) ¹⁶ “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You that I have been born twice.

Lord, help me to live every day in the sunlight of Your love, and that all that is within me to live the Christ like life, by the power of the divine triune God that lives in me.

Galatians 5:16 (NASB) ¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

I Am Redeemed (Click on link below to watch video on this hymn):

YouTube - I Am Redeemed - Jesse Dixon

The Word of God says:

Psalm 24:1-2 (NASB) ¹ The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.² For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers.

Psalm 50:10-12 (NASB) ¹⁰ “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.¹¹ “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine.¹² “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.

My reflections on the Word of God:

This week our focus will be on the topic of “Christian Stewardship”.  The starting place in looking at this topic is to realize that God is the owner of everything.

Everything that we have in our life on the earth belongs to God. Thus, we are stewards of what God has entrusted to us.

Let the truths of our selected passages for today sink deep into our hearts. Let God’s viewpoint shape our attitude about the material things that we have acquired, and those that we desire to acquire.

We are not the owners of what we have custody of in this world. Whatever we have large or small it all belongs to God. We are caretakers and users, but the owner is God.

Additionally, the bible teaches that as steward we are required to be faithful. How we use what God owns He will hold us accountable.

1 Corinthians 4:2 (NASB) ² In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

1 Corinthians 4:2 (AMP) ² Moreover, it is [essentially] required of stewards that a man should be found faithful [proving himself worthy of trust].

Matthew 25:19 (AMP) ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the knowledge that everything belongs to You.

Father God, it is good to know that You own everything. Lord, I pray that this will sink deep into my heart, and that I will remember that everything belongs to You, and that everything I have or need comes from You.

Lord, I pray that You will see in me a trustworthy servant in whom You can trust with more.

What Shall I Render (Click on link below to watch video rendering of this hymn):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXiQE2dF0sw&feature=PlayList&p=714E3DB79E0B1D7B&index=8

The Word of God says:

Romans 12:3-8 (NASB) ³ For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.⁴ For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.⁶ Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;⁷ if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;⁸ or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we complete week three. The topic for the week has been “You and Your Church”. Our emphasis this week has been on the subject “What your church can do you”.

Our focal passage describes how God has gifted each member of the church with spiritual gifts. It describes the environment in which gifts are used. God is the giver of the gifts, and the members of the church are the beneficiaries.

Each member has a least one spiritual gift, and some might have more than one. However many you have, they are a gift from God. Our responsibility is to accept the gift with humility, and use that gift in the ministry of the church. Every gift is important. It is essential that each person use their gift so that the church, the body of Christ, will be healthy.

Every day will not be a sunny day. You can expect to have problems and days of discouragement as you serve the Lord through His church. Jesus warns us of this potential. However, we are not without hope and never without Jesus.

John 16:33 (NASB) ³³ “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.”

In conclusion, the ideal environment for the ministry of the church should be love for Christ, and love for one another. When days of trouble and discouragement come, we should not lose our zeal for Christ, and for the ministry of the church. We should just keep on serving one another, building up one another, and above all loving one another. Love never fails and it will outlast everything you will ever face in this world.

Romans 12:12 (NASB) ¹² rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) ¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the provisions You have made for each member of the church that enables the church to be a healthy body.

Father God, I pray that each member of the body of Christ will serve You faithfully. Lord, I pray that the ministries of the church will be fruitful, and that they will bring glory to God.

God Leads Us Along (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_God_Leads_Us_Along.html

The Word of God says:

John 4:35 (NASB) ³⁵ “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we turn to another important thing that your church can do for you. O how we need our churches to fulfill this responsibility for her members. The topic for today is “The church can enlarge your missionary vision”.

Enlarging our missionary vision requires that we heed the words of Jesus when he admonished his followers by saying to them, “lift up your eyes”.

We will be blind to the needs of those around us until we lift up our eyes. We cannot see the needs around us or before us until we lift up our eyes, and see the people around us and before us who need the Savior.

This requires that we take our eyes off of looking at the world. The hymn writer Helen Lemmel captured this thought in the hymn, which is our focal hymn for today.  This penetrating line in the chorus describes what will happen when we lift up our eyes, “And the things of earth will grow strangely dim”.

There is a field of lost souls all around us. If we take our eyes off of the world, we will see that the words of Jesus are still applicable today. The fields of souls are white today, and ready for harvesting.

Luke 10:2 (NASB) ² And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Psalm 126:5-6 (NASB) ⁵ Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.⁶ He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that the church will continue to hear and heed the words of Jesus to lift our eyes, and see the people around us who need Jesus.

Lord, in these perilous days, may we take our eyes off of the world, and look up to Jesus. Then we can see people as Jesus sees them.

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_Turn_Your_Eyes_Upon_Jesus.html

The Word of God says:

1 Corinthians 1:10-16 (NASB) ¹⁰ Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.¹¹ For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.¹² Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”¹³ Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,¹⁵ so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.¹⁶ Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we look at another sub-topic under the main topic for this week, “You and Your Church”. Today’s sub-topic is, “Training in Church Membership”.

One of the goals of church member training is to prevent our church from becoming like the church at Corinth. This was a divided church, and a divided church cannot carry out the mission and the ministry of the church.

The Church that is a healthy church recognizes Christ as the chief shepherd, and the pastor as the under shepherd, and the people are followers of Christ.

A healthy church is not about members being fans of the various leaders of the church. It is not about who baptized you. Rather, it is about Jesus who saved you by the shedding of His precious and royal blood on the cross at Calvary.

In order to be about the important work of the church it requires that the members be united in Christ, and serving the Lord with one spirit and one mind. Together we stand, but divided we will fall apart. Your church can equip you to stand firm under the banner of the cross.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the church, and for the significant role that the church has in the spiritual growth and development of your people.

Lord, I pray that by Your great and mighty power that You will unite Your people under the banner of the cross. Lord, bind us together that we would be so close that one could not fall because another is so near.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_Blest_Be_The_Tie.html

The Word of God says:

Psalm 119:129-130 (NASB) ¹²⁹ Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them.¹³⁰ The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we look at another significant thing that your church can do for you. Your church can teach you the word of God.

The word of God will provide you with the spiritual food that is necessary for spiritual life. We live in a dark world and God’s Word will provide light to enable you to see the way of God, and understanding so that you may do the will of God.

When you live by the Word of God your life becomes wonderful because the word of God is wonderful. With the guidance of the spiritual leaders of the church, the Spirit of God will show you wonderful things in the word of God.

Psalm 119:18 (NASB) ¹⁸ Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.

As the unfolding of the word of God gives light to your life, the face of the Lord will shine the light of His countenance upon you.

Psalm 119:135 (NASB) ¹³⁵ Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the light of Your Word that enlightens my soul.

Father God, I thank You for the light of Your face that shines upon Your servant and enables me to be light in a dark world.

Lord, Your Word is wonderful. No matter how low I may fall, the Word has the power to revive and strengthen my life.

Psalm 119:25 (AMP) ²⁵ My earthly life cleaves to the dust; revive and stimulate me according to Your word!

Psalm 119:28 (AMP) ²⁸ My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness; raise me up and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.

Wonderful Words of Life (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_Wonderful_Words_of_Life.html

The Word of God says:

John 4:23-24 (NASB) ²³ “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.²⁴ “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we begin another week of study in church membership. This week the topic is “You and Your Church”.

There are things that only those who have given their lives to Christ can receive from the church. These benefits come from your union with Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB) ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

In our focal passage Jesus reveals something that is essential to the worship of God. There is something more important than the place where we worship. The most essential thing is how we worship God, and Jesus makes clear the essentials of worship.

John 4:24 (NASB) ²⁴ “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Your church can play a vital role in helping you be a worshipper in spirit and in truth. However, to receive this benefit you have to show up.

Hebrews 10:25 (NASB) ²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the wonderful celebration we had yesterday in the Lord’s house, on the Lord’s Day.

Psalm 122:1 (NASB) ¹ I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Psalm 95:6 (NASB) ⁶ Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Holy, Holy, Holy (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_Holy_Holy_Holy.html