Quote from Forum Archives on January 14, 2002, 12:57 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

How do other people, particularly those closest to you, see how
you handle yourself, not only your successes, but your failures
as well? Today's message from Neil Anderson takes an honest look
at that topic, and shares how Neil once dealt with one of his own
outbursts.

I've had plenty of outbursts, too, sometimes I deal with my own
failures well, and other times I deal with them in a dismal
fashion. This is a good message for me to think about and
respond to in my life, and I encourage you to think about it as
well.

Along with Neil's message, I have included the Weekly Verses,
which also are mailed, courtesy of Crosswalk.com.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

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 14

CHILDREN NEED MODELS

A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been
fully trained, will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40).

Your children need to see how you handle failure even more than
how you handle success. If you make a mistake, you need to own up
to it and ask forgiveness if the situation calls for it. If you
don't model how to deal with your own fleshly responses, how are
they going to learn how to own up to their mistakes and resolve
them biblically?

One Sunday morning my daughter wasn't ready when I wanted to
leave for church. I fumed about it until I exploded with anger.
After the service I was about to say grace before a meal when I
felt the convicting hand of God weighing heavily upon me. I
stopped and asked my family to forgive me for my outburst of
anger. I didn't confess my daughter's tardiness because it wasn't
my responsibility. Nor did I ask their forgiveness in hopes that
my daughter would own up to her tardiness. I asked their
forgiveness because my outburst of anger was a deed of the flesh.
I had to ask forgiveness to be right with God myself.

You never lose esteem in your child's eyes when you do what God
requires you to do. You gain esteem because you are an honest
person, and in the process you are modeling what they need to do
when they blow it. Children need models, not critics. Modeling is
what establishes our credibility to "bring them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).

Lord, help me model a life of obedience and honesty before my
children and others who look to me as an example. And when I
fail, give me grace to admit my mistakes and resolve my
conflicts.

-----------
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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go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/

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Reply-to: Weekly Verses <weeklyverses@lists.crosswalk.com>
Subject: Weekly Verses from Crosswalk.com -- 1/14/02
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 12:00:52 -0500

Weekly Verses
from Crosswalk.com
www.crosswalk.com
1/14/02

These verses are taken from TODAY'S VERSE, by Phil Ware
< devotionals.crosswalk.com/TodaysVerse >

~~~~~~~~~
MONDAY

Be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live a life of
love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a
fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

--Ephesians 5:1-2
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If we are
to sincerely flatter God by being like him, imitation may be
the most costly form of flattery as well. You see, love for
God is never something that occurs just in our minds or our
hearts. Love is something we do for another -- it is action.
John said in 1 John 4 that we must love in both our deeds and
our words. Love means to give ourselves up -- what we want,
our rights, our desires -- to honor God and serve others. This
is a kind of love that can change the world, or a marriage, or
a family.

MY PRAYER...
Abba Father, I will never fully understand how you could
love me so much that you would allow your son to die for me as
my sacrifice. Please help me love others sacrificially. I
know the power to do this is not within me, so please pour your
love into my heart so that I may share that love with others.
Through Jesus, my brother and my sacrifice, I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

TUESDAY

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God
Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil,
love good; maintain justice in the courts.

--Amos 5:14-15
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
A whole bunch of folks claim that God is on their side. In
reality, that's not important at all. The real question is
whether we are on God's side! That's determined more by what
we seek and do rather than what we say and believe. God longs
to be with us, but he will not sacrifice his character to
extend us cheap grace, a grace that does not call us to be like
him. He's looking for believers who put their character where
their mouth is.

MY PRAYER...
Most Holy God. Your righteousness and holiness are beyond
me and my ability to attain. Yet I long, dear Father, to be
more like you in every way humanly possible. Let me know of
your presence with me as I seek you and your character in my
life. Through Jesus the Righteous One I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

WEDNESDAY

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not
corrupt and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.

--Matthew 6:19-20
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Where do you hide your heart? What we most value is where
we will find our heart. So it is an important question. You
see, we can treasure riches, control, security, relationships,
and even church. Jesus comes to remind us that it is only by
turning loose of the things that most of us keep as our
treasures that we find what is truly
treasure.

MY PRAYER...
Majestic Father, I pray that out of the riches of your
grace, you may help me find my treasure in you and nothing
else. Today, I want to offer you all that I am and have to
your glory. Through Jesus my example and Savior I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

THURSDAY

Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

--1 Peter 1:15-16
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
"Holy" is one of those words we generally associate with the
"stained glass ghetto" -- a word only "church folks" use. That
may be true, but it's still a great concept. Every kid knows
that you don't eat hot dogs and potato chips on china. Mom's
china is reserved for "special company" or "special occasions."
Hot dogs are for paper plates and every day, china is for
special events. When God is calling us to be holy, he's
calling us to be china -- something special just for him, and
as Peter emphasizes, just like him.

MY PRAYER...
Holy Lord, God Almighty, I come before you knowing how great
the distance is between your holiness and my commonness. I
thank you for making me holy through the sacrifice of Jesus and
by sending your Holy Spirit to live inside of me. Please
receive my life today as a holy offering to you. Through
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

FRIDAY

In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting
me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can
man do to me?

--Psalm 118:5-6
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
The beginning of the year has been a trying time for people
I care about. Maybe it's been that way for you or those you
love. My prayer for you, and for them, is that they may know
the comfort of God's presence. Whether it's the popular little
poem "Footprints" or the familiar "Yea though I walk through
the shadow of death, thou art with me," the presence of the
Lord is absolutely vital to standing up against our anguish!
The Lord does long to be with us, especially at those moments
when we feel most alone. He told us that by experiencing it
himself at the cross.

MY PRAYER...
I am thankful, O God, that you refused to be God from a safe
distance. Because you came and felt what it was like to be
abandoned, forsaken, and alone, I know I can trust that I will
never be forsaken by you. Please give me a clearer sense of
your presence with me in my life today, I pray through Jesus.
Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

SATURDAY

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all
of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves
with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free,
male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

--Galatians 3:26-29
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
One. Basic, simple, and easy to understand. When we become
Christians through faith and baptism into Christ, we are made
one with all other Christians around the world. Race, gender,
and social status are gone. All that's left is One, the One,
Jesus. Our lives are his and thus are connected to each other.
Our destination is the same, heaven. Our family is the
church. No barriers. No closed doors. We are one.

MY PRAYER...
Abba Father, thank you for adopting me into your family.
May we be one earth now, as we will be when we are all together
around your throne in heaven. I pray for unity among all those
who call upon your name and share your Spirit so the world may
know there is a solution to conflict, strife and division.
Through Jesus our Savior, I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

SUNDAY

God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are
therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his
appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be
reconciled to God.

--2 Corinthians 5:19-20
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
The price has been paid. The ransom is provided. God's
judgment was averted, not because of anything we did to appease
him, but by his own sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. If God
has gone to such great lengths to reconcile us to himself and
adopt us into his family, how can we refuse? We must not!
Father God, we offer you our hearts!

MY PRAYER...
O Gracious God, I know my sin has broken your heart and
offended your holiness. Words, therefore, cannot communicate
my thankfulness to you. You were hurt by my sin and yet
provided a sacrifice to redeem me from it and reconcile me to
you. I praise you for your grace, thank you for your love, and
promise to share your mercy. Through Jesus my sacrifice I
pray. Amen.

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

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