Carrying on the Vision

Genesis 11:31

"And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there."

I have the privilege that many have not had in that I'm not a first generation Christian.

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Bible Thoughts by Terry Hedderman

Sunday, 12/8/13  Ps 94:1 O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.  Vengeance, payback, revenge, retribution...that’s God’s turf. Unless He’s given you a position in which you’re to decide and act like He would in His stead, stay off of God’s playground.               John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Would you categorize your life as “abundant”? Overflowing with blessings? Maybe, if you don’t have the “abundant life”, you don’t have “life” either. Just sayin’.


Monday, 12/9/13  Ps 119:163a I hate and abhor lying. Ps 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying.  The things that tic us off most in others are usually indicators of our weak spots. What really sets you off?             Lev 19:9-10 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy fineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God. Perhaps a modern application would be to regularly donate a portion of your business’ revenue to charitable causes.

Tuesday, 12/10/13  Pro 5:3-4 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Illicit sex (i.e. outside of marriage) may be sweet and exciting at first, but the inevitable end is bitterness, despair, and guilt.                 Pro 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments and live. We have have gotta learn Christian doctrine and how to DO the Christian life. Learn how to learn. You have a textbook (Bible) and a teacher (Pastor or SS teachers): what can YOU do to maximize your learning?

Wednesday, 12/11/13  Ps 105:1 O give thinks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. What has God done for you recently? Whom have you told?             Pro 5:1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding. Remember that teaching & learning is a 2-way street. The best prepared teacher in the world still needs a student willing to listen and learn. YOU...you be a good student. Also, make sure you kids know how to learn.

Thursday, 12/12/13  Pro 6:26b ...and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. If you’re trying to make progress for God and become holier...keep your moral guard up extra high.                 Luke 16:22-23a And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments...  Death is immediately followed by Heaven or Hell: there is no waiting time.  Those in Heaven or Hell now have a body, with all of the parts and senses and capabilities that we know.

Friday, 12/13/13  Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. The most powerful persuasive tool we have is the Word of God.            Luke 16:22-23a And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments...  I believe Abraham’s bosom is another name for Heaven. I think the OT saints went to Heaven, not to a second rate place next to Hell. Jesus was referred to as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” so, in the mind of God, their sins were fully paid for since Creation.

Saturday, 12/14/13  Luke 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: for I have 5 brethren... The damned are aware of people and events in this life.              Luke 16:23-24 And in hell...being in torments...have mercy on me...dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Hell is horrible now, and will get worse later in the Lake of Fire.
 
Thoughts from some others:
Pro 12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop; but a good word maketh it glad. It’s amazing what an encouraging word, a positive word does for one’s spirit in time of crisis and discomfort.

Exo 14:31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and his servant Moses. Too bad that we have to wait to see evidence of God’s greatness before we believe Him and His servants.

(This is a list of questions that John Wesley used in his daily devotions.) Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?         Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence? Can I be trusted?        Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?         Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?          Did the Bible live in me today?              Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?        Am I enjoying prayer?             When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?          Do I pray about the money I spend?          Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?            Do I disobey God in anything?              Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?               Am I defeated in any part of my life?       Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?          How do I spend my spare time?            Am I proud? Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?             Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, criticize, hold a resentment toward, disregard, or disown? Is so, what am I doing about it?          Do I grumble or complain constantly?              Is Christ real to me?

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Bible Thoughts by Terry Hedderman

Sunday, 12/1/13  Pro 27:12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on and are punished. Many problems in life could be prevented if we’d just be alert to life and assess what is happening NOW, what WILL happen because of now, and analyze what MIGHT happen. Pay attention as life happens: WAKE UP AND THINK!! 

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