Quote from Forum Archives on January 7, 2002, 10:13 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Many of the things that I have learned, particularly about my own
faith and how I express it is a combination of the upbringing I
have had, my current reading, and God's Spirit alive and working
in me. I often mention that I really NEED this last factor in
particular, for just when I think I have everything "figured
out", either I fail miserably at something, or I realize that
there is so much more to change, deep within. I don't know about
you, but these revelations remind me every day of just how much I
really need God.

I've attached two messages as we begin the new week. The first
comes from one of the frequent writers that I use for this
material: Neil Anderson. The second message comes from the
PCCWeb Daily, and is written by a Canadian writer, Alex Bisset.
Neil discusses why an understanding of God's Spirit is so
important in every facet of life. Alex reminds us of the
importance of Jesus Christ, not just at Christmas, but in our
every day lives. Aren't these writers saying, in different ways,
something very similar? Are you going to allow Jesus Christ to
participate in your life today?

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Reply-to: Neil Anderson <neilanderson@lists.crosswalk.com>
Subject: Neil Anderson Devotional for Sunday, January 6, 2002

If you are looking to feed and challenge your faith, visit
Crosswalk.com's Spiritual Life Channel at:
spiritual.crosswalk.com
-----------
N E I L A N D E R S O N D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

January 6

AN INDISPENSABLE PREREQUISITE

Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3 NIV).

The focus of my ministry, both as a pastor and a seminary
professor, has been the interrelated ministries of discipling and
Christian counseling. I have been a discipler and a counselor of
countless individuals. I have also taught discipleship and
pastoral counseling at the seminary level and in churches and
leadership conferences across the country. Much of my interaction
with people has been to expose the insidious reality of Satan's
relentless assault of deception on the Christian's mind. He knows
that if he can keep you from understanding who you are in Christ,
he can keep you from experiencing the maturity and freedom which
is your inheritance as a child of God.

I am intrigued by the overlap of the ministries of discipling and
counseling. Christian discipleship focuses on truth and tends to
be future-oriented, provoking spiritual growth and maturity.
Christian counseling considers the past to correct problems and
address areas of weakness. Your past has shaped your present
belief system and will determine your future unless it is dealt
with. Biblically, discipleship and counseling are not separate
ministries. Both are intensely personal ministries which are
necessary to apply the truth to set people free from their past
and establish them complete in Christ.

Furthermore, it is my conviction that discipleship and counseling
must both start where the Bible starts: with a knowledge of God
and our identity in Christ. If we really knew God, our behavior
would change radically and instantly. That's what happened in
Scripture. Whenever heaven opened to reveal the glory of God,
individual witnesses were immediately and profoundly changed. I
believe that the greatest determinant of mental and spiritual
health and freedom is a true understanding of God and a right
relationship with Him. A good theology is an indispensable
prerequisite to a good psychology.

Father, I am eternally grateful to You that in Christ I am a
saint dwelling in the heavenlies instead of a sinner wallowing in
the mud.

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
< www.ficm.org >.

You can purchase "Daily in Christ" and other titles by Neil Anderson at
christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors - CBD).
< shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/devo_na >

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >.
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Reply-to: <daily@presbycan.ca>
From: "PCCWeb Daily Devotional" <daily@presbycan.ca>
Subject: Daily Devotional for Monday, January 7, 2002
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 09:10:02 GMT

PCCWeb Daily

Monday, January 7, 2002

Today's Devotional

Plough Monday

In the course of my work, I regularly come across little snippets
about life in years gone by which are totally useless, except
perhaps as bits of party trivia. However, I recently discovered
something that I found quite interesting.

Apparently the Monday after Epiphany was once identified as
Plough Monday in England, because it was the day on which spring
ploughing began, and men had to get back to their normal routine
of farm work again.

The day after Epiphany was also facetiously called St. Distaff's
Day in some parts of England. A distaff is a part of a spinning
wheel, and this day was so called because it was the day that the
women stopped behaving in holiday mode and went back to their
usual occupations, represented by spinning.

In both cases the message is the same: the holidays are over, and
it is time to go back to work. In the part of Canada that I live
in, our children are going back to school today. Many of us will
be back at our places of employment today, ready (or not ready!)
to get down to business once more.

But even though the holidays are over, and even though we have
packed up the Christmas gear for another eleven months or so,
Christmas should still be with us. Jesus does not get packed away
with the ornaments. We can't put the manger and the baby away and
forget about them. If what we've heard and said and done over the
past few weeks has any meaning in our lives at all, then the
message of Christmas needs to be something that we keep thinking
about all year long.

As we return to our daily routine, be it ploughing, or spinning,
or studying, or sitting at a desk, or driving a truck, or
teaching, or making a home, or whatever our own particular daily
routine may be, let us reflect on the message of Christmas, and
keep that message alive in our hearts until Christmas comes round
once more.

Luke 2:19 - But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them
in her heart. (NRSV)

Prayer: God of love, we thank you for the gift that you have
given to us this Christmas. May this gift, your only son, be
present in our hearts and minds at all times as we move through
your world from day to day. May we, like Mary, continue to ponder
your words and your deeds in our hearts. For we ask it in the
name of your son, our Lord. Amen.

Alex Bisset wab@oupcan.mail.net North York, Ontario, Canada

Today's Canadian Bible Society Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42:1-13
bible.gospelcom.net/bible?Isaiah+42:1-13

The PCCWeb Daily Devotional on the Internet The PrayerLine,
Subscription and Feedback features on this page, as well as a
searchable archive of over 1700 past devotionals, are all
accessible through daily.presbycan.ca.

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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