Weekly Devotional, "Whatever is Lovely", June 18, 2012

From Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

 

WHATEVER IS LOVELY

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

In the Peter Pan movie there’s a segment where the children are in their bedroom with Peter Pan, wishing they could fly. “How do you do it?” John asks Peter.

Peter answers, “You just think lovely, wonderful thoughts and they lift you up in the air.”

Lovely thoughts won’t make you or your flip-flops airborne, but they are exactly what God requires in Philippians 4:8. We are to think on whatever is lovely or acceptable to God.

That was David’s request when he prayed, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). Within Psalm 104 a similar plea is made: May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD (v. 34).

For sacrifices to be acceptable to God, specific requirements needed to be met. The priests needed to be clean, the sacrifice needed to be without defect, and the person offering the sacrifice needed to be sincere in repentance and worship.

David is approaching God, offering His mind as a sacrifice to Him. He’s asking that his words – the ones he speaks from his lips and the self-talk he speaks in his mind – meet God’s requirements.

What kind of words do you speak aloud and to yourself?

In her book, Silver Boxes: The Gift of Encouragement, Florence Littauer writes about a delightful children’s sermon that unfolds based on Ephesians 4:29, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 

As she spoke to the children about how our words should minister grace and be presents to one another, a “precious little girl stood up, stepped into the aisle, and said loudly to the whole congregation, ‘What she means is that our words should be like little silver boxes with bows on top.’”

What a beautiful picture of what our words should be to each other AND a lovely illustration of what our words should be when we talk to ourselves! As God tests our self-talk, may He find that they’re lovely gifts fit for a King.

Think on it: Would you describe the words you say to yourself and about yourself as lovely? If not, make Psalm 19:14 your prayer today.

Wise, truthful words are never harsh or unkind. They are gracious. Even the hard truths we speak to ourselves should not be condemning.

Jennifer Rothschild

You're Invited!

We're excited to be hosting our Fall Workshop at 2 different locations again this year.
Please mark your calendars & plan to attend one of the following:

Saturday, August 4, 2012 ~

Christian Health Care Center, Wyckoff NJ

Saturday, September 15, 2012 ~

Woodlyn Baptist Church, Woodlyn PA

Information is being sent to you via email or regular mail so keep an eye out.  You can also download the registration form here.

We look forward to seeing you in person at a workshop.  If you have any questions, please contact us!

Lisa & Amy

Weekly Devotional - "Whatever is Pure" - June 11, 2012

From Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

WHATEVER IS PURE

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

There was a time in church history that if the word lust was used in a sermon, it was intended to target the thought life of men. Let’s not deceive ourselves into thinking that we’re exempt from the command in Philippians 4:8, to think on whatever is pure.

We live in a sex-saturated society. What used to be talked about in the darkness is now commonplace on morning talk shows, in steamy movie scenes and romance novels, suggestive emails, music lyrics, magazine covers, and so on. Research shows that more and more women are viewing online pornography. Even if you’re not part of that statistic, the temptation to think impure thoughts is everywhere – including sexual innuendos at the workplace and larger than life posters of scantily dressed models in mall display windows.

We must flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Like Joseph who fled from Potiphar’s wife we must run from anything and anyone, that would cause us to sin against God (Genesis 39).

Instead of fleeing from a married woman like Joseph did, King David sent an invite. Rather than going back to his bed alone when he saw bathing beauty Bathsheba from his rooftop, he sent for her. From that momentary pleasure he experienced one painful consequence after another (2 Samuel 11 and following).

Psalm 51 is his acknowledgement of sin, sincere confession, plea for forgiveness and purification, and a request for renewal and restoration. Memorize this Psalm. Pray it often. Understand with David that unless we are purified before God, we’ll miss out on personal fellowship with Him.

It’s the pure in heart who will see God (Matthew 5:8). Without holiness no one will see the LORD (Hebrews 12:14). Sin fogs, alienates, and distances us from God. It’s only through the purifying blood of Jesus that we can be brought near to God.

We can’t make ourselves pure and holy any more than the Israelites who sacrificed burnt offerings or the Pharisees who meticulously cleaned the outside of their cups and dishes. No matter how good and pure things look on the outside, unless there’s inner, God created purity, it’s all a hypocritical sham.

Only God can create a pure heart within us. And it’s from that inner starting point that we can be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:10b-11).

Think on it: Are you following something or someone that you should be fleeing? Come clean and live free, forgiven, and pure for the glory and praise of God.

Years ago, I asked Jim Downing, one of the patriarchs of the Navigator work, “Why is it that so few men finish well?” His response was profound. He said, “They learn the possibility of being fruitful without being pure. . . they begin to believe that purity doesn’t matter. Eventually, they become like trees rotting inside that are eventually toppled by a storm.”

Michael Oh

Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for New Jersey Clubs that will be hosting Campouts this weekend.  Pray for safety, good health and a spirit filled time of good fellowship with the women and girls!

Weekly Devotional - "Whatever is Noble" May 29, 2012

From Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

 

WHATEVER IS NOBLE

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:2

Within Scripture the firstborn son carried noble rank within the family. His birthright included a double portion of the estate, leadership of the family, and other special privileges and responsibilities. Beyond the tangible, material inheritance, the heart of his birthright was spiritual blessings.

In Genesis 25, we meet Isaac and Rebekah’s sons, Esau and Jacob. Although they were twins, Esau was born first and the lawful heir to the birthright. Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!”

Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said, “What good is a birthright to me?”

But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob (Genesis 25:29-33).

Philippians 3:19 is descriptive of Esau’s impulsive choice. His destiny was destruction, his god was his stomach, and his glory was in his shame. His mind was set on earthly things.

Esau hungered for the immediate satisfaction of stew, instead of God who satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16). He traded in an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade for the temporal, fleeting pleasures of this world. He gratified the desires of the flesh and showed complete disregard for God’s covenant blessings. God’s Word warns us not to make the same mistake! See that no one . . . is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son (Hebrews 12:16).  

Those whose names are written in heaven, are the church of the firstborn (Hebrews 12:23). Through Christ, the firstborn of the Father and over all creation, we have been gifted an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Our true citizenship is in heaven! Are those noble thoughts at the forefront of our thinking? Or are we shortsighted, impulsive, selfish, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God? (2 Timothy 3:4)

Esau was famished and the only thing on his mind was the short-lived gratification of soup rather than the eternal glory that far outweighs our light and momentary troubles (2 Corinthians 4:17). His choice came with severe consequences. God turned Esau’s mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals (Malachi 1:3).

Think on it: What choices are you making in your famished situation? Do not be shortsighted. We need a heavenly perspective! Choose to think on whatever is noble by setting your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

Everything is about God and his glory, not us and our needs. If we always keep God at the center of our lives and minds, we will never be overcome by self-absorption.

Anthony Selvaggio

Weekly Devotion - "Whatever is Right" - June 4, 2012

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

 

WHATEVER IS RIGHT

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

God instructs us in Philippians 4:8 to think on whatever is right or in some translations, to think on whatever is just (ESV and KJV). We live in a world that does just that. In a Barna Group survey it was reported that, “close to nine out of every ten Americans (86%) describe themselves as ‘caring deeply about social injustice.’” Social awareness is on the minds of Christians and non-Christians alike.

It’s important to recognize the difference between awareness and action, between thinking about injustice and taking needed steps to right the wrong. God requires both! We must think on whatever is right and just and do what is right and just (Philippians 4:8, Micah 6:8).

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other” (Zechariah 7:9-10).

God repeatedly told His people to have concern for the weaker members of society, but they gave no thought to His commands. They refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry (Zechariah 7:11-12).

Injustice angered God’s Son as well. Jesus said to the spiritual leaders of that day that although they think they’re doing the right thing by giving a tenth of their spices, they’ve neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness and love of God (Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42).

“Woe to you!” Jesus said to the teachers of the law and Pharisees. “Woe to you!” He says to you and me when we fail to act justly as the LORD requires.

Sometimes we draw a line in our minds for how far we’re willing to go or how much we’re willing to do as activists for Jesus Christ. God has drawn a line as well. Justice is His measuring line; righteousness is His plumb line (Isaiah 28:17a).  Jesus will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever (Isaiah 9:7). May His Kingdom and His will that we act justly be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Think on it: What’s the last time you thought to yourself, “This just isn’t right!” Ask God how you can move that thought into action as you seek to administer true justice.

Lord, to those who hunger, give bread. And to those who have bread, give the hunger for justice.

Latin American Prayer