James 1:6 tells us, "But when you ask God, you must believe. Don't doubt God. The person who doubts is like a wave in the sea. The wind blows the wave up and down. The person who doubts is like that wave."

Some people pray and ask God for something. But they have more faith in the thing they are asking for than the one they are asking.

God always answers our prayers. He may say,"Yes"..."No"... or "Not Now", but we should always trust God to know what is best for us. He will answer our prayers according to what He knows to be best!

And when God says, "NO:", it may be hard to accept. Often we don't understand why God did not give us what we asked for, but we need to accept God's answer and not doubt Him.

I hope that you will trust God today! With no doubt, He will always be with you, and do what is best for you!

~Philip

Today's Bible reading: Psalm 61:1-4

Often I receive e-mails that say something like, "Repeat this prayer,and pass it on to ten other people and you will receive a miracle." This is superstition...doing something and hoping to receive a good thing in return. The dictionary puts it this way: A belief founded, despite evidence that it is irrational.

Some superstitious people believe they will have good luck if they carry a rabbit's foot with them or find a four-leaf clover. These beliefs are not based on facts.

Many people believe that their prayers are like superstitions. They think that if they say/sign the right words, God will give them what they want. But God gives us what is best, what is needed.

Our Bible reading today is a prayer that Paul prayed for the people in the Ephesian church. It is a great example of how we should pray to God. When you pray today, make sure you are talking to God and depending on Him...not just some superstition.

~Philip

Today's Bible reading:Ephesians 3:14-19

When some people pray, they bargain with God. Maybe they say, "God, if you will make me well, I will never tell a lie again." or "God, if you help me get this job, I will give you ten percent of all I make from it."

Never telling a lie or giving ten percent are good things to do, but we should do these things because they are right. We should not expect some special blessing from God.

However, if you pray and make a promise to God, you should do what you promised. God always keeps His promises, and He wants us to do the same.

In our Bible reading today, Paul tells us how we should pray. We should pray for people and ask for God's help. We should thank God for what He has done for us. And, we should pray for the leaders of our country so that "we can have quiet and peaceful lives-lives full of worship and respect for God" (verse 2)

When you talk to God today, think about what you are saying/signing. Make sure that your prayer pleases Him...by the way,He wants you to talk to HIM!

~Philip

Today's Bible reading: I Timothy 2:1-4

The gospel is "the power of God to salvation for everyone whobelieves, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." (Romans 1:16) Salvation is available to all that faithfully obey God's will. Before salvation can ever become a reality one must be willing to learn what God says and to do it. "If anyone willls to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority." (John 7:17) Only those that want to know what God says are are willing to do His will can please Him.

Purpose of God's word: "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures." (James 1:18) The purpose of God's word bring about the salvation of our souls. It was by "God's will": that salvation was made possible. (I Peter 1:23) All scripture is inspired of God and completely furnished the Christian unto every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) These words are not the words of men's wisdom but words of the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:13) By following God's will Christians are a kind of first fruits of His creation. The purpose of God's word is salvation!

Power of God's word: "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save souls." ( James 1:19-21) We all need to know that conversion is brought about by the power of God's word. In dealing with God's word let us be "swift to hear" because it is God's word... He is speaking to each of us. Until God's word is properly understood be "slow to speak" concerning it and always be "slow to wrath" in religious matters. Any sinful thing must be removed from human hearts so there can be a reception of the word of God "which is able to save your souls."The power of God's word is God's love for each of us!

Practice of God's word:" "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves..." (James 1:22-27) The key expression is, "...be doers of the word, and not hearers only..." One is a foolish man that hears God's word and fails to practic e it. (Matthew 7:24-27) Nothing is accomplished if one only reads the word but does nothing about what is read. One must continue to hear and do God's will. James names three specific areas of practice: Controlling your tongue (James 1:26) ,Being benevolent to those in need (James 1:27), and Practicing personal purity. (James 1:27) It is not enough just to hear the truth, one must also practice what he has learned. (Matthew 7:21) Are you a doer or a hearer onlye? Have you heard the gospel (Romans 10:27), believed in Jesus (John 8:24), repented of sins (Acts 17:30), confessed faith in Christ (Romans 10:9-10), been baptized into Christ (Romans 6:1-4) and practiced pure religion (James 1:26-27)?

The person that learns and does what God says will be blessed in this life and in that which is to come!

~Philip

We should all be glad that we are now under a system of God's grace. This new system was made possible by the gift of God's Son.

John writes in Chapter 3 verse 16, a passage familiar to all--"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (NIV).

Notice the words recorded here, God gave this special gift, His only Son--we did not earn the gift--He was given freely by God.

Jesus had a purpose when He came--that purpose was to seek and save the lost, as recorded in Luke 19:10--John the Baptist's role was to point the Jews to Jesus, and on one occasion He said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

In order to take away man's sin He had to become the sacrificial Lamb, one without spot or blemish. He is the only one who could have been the atoning sacrificie for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins the whole world (I John 2:2) (NIV)

This purpose, to save the lost by being the sacrificial lamb would ultimately lead Jesus to Calvary. It was there that he would be crucified, giving his life and shedding His blood in order for man's sins to be taken away. Listen to what Paul writes in Colossians chapter one beginning in verse 19: For God wa pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, to: and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in Heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.

The satisfaction, God's requirement to reconcile man to Him, leading to man's justification,was accomplished at Calvary by Christ's blood.

Paul, the apostle, could now pen these words to Titus: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us to live self-controlled, upright, and Godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good," (Titus 1:11-14)

Thank God we have been saved by His grace, demonstrating His great love for each of us by making us alive through Christ even when we were dead in transgressions (Eph. 2:4-5) (NIV). Paul the apostle would write to the church at Rome and remind them that through faith they have gained access into this grace in which they now stand. (Romans 5:2)

It is amazing that even today through obedient faith we can access this grace in order to have our sins removed and stand justified before God in His kingdom--truly, we are saved by His amazing grace.
Verse of the day

-Ronnie Young

The story found in these verses is often referred to as "The Rich Man and Lazarus". This story is very familiar to students of the Bible. It tells of a rich man who was "...clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day". This seems to indicate that he had the very best clothes that money could buy. It also indicates that he feasted in luxury every day. In other words, he was "filthy rich".

On the opposite end of the scale was a poor beggar named Lazarus. The Bible says that he "...was laid at the rich man's gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores". As can be seen here, the beggar was probably the poorest of the poor. He had to be carried to the rich man's gate, where he was left to beg even for the crumbs from the rich man's table.

The story then picks up after both of these men had died. But now, things are different. Lazarus has been carried into Abraham's bosom. The rich man, however, has ended up in eternal punishment. The Bible says that, "...in hell, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment". It is bad enough that he is now in agony, but in addition to that, he can see Lazarus being comforted. And, even though he had never made any effort to help Lazarus while on earth, he now wants Lazarus to help him.

As we read the remaining verses of this story, we learn that once this life is over, there is no going back. There is no changing our destiny. There is no sending word back to our loved ones. As long as we are breathing there is hope for us---if we are willing to be obedient to the Gospel. But, once that last breath is taken, our fate is sealed. We will be in either eternal joy or eternal torment.

Another point from this story is that although the rich man had many opportunities to help the poor beggar, he never did so. This lack of action violates the commands of Jesus found in Matthew 25:41-46. He had the means and the opportunitiies to help his fellow man, but he failed to do so. Verse 45 of this passage makes it very clear that when he turned his back on the beggar, he was also turning his back on Jesus.

We should live every day as if it were the last day of our lives, because that might very well be the case. We are given no promise of tomorrow. We should take advantage of every opportunity to help others, for in so doing we are following the commands of Jesus. We are preparing ourselves for eternity with Him.

~George Bryan Today's Bible reading: Luke 16:19-31

One of the most important traits to recognize about God is His commitment to His children. He has never, nor will He ever, relinquish His relationship with those who are obedient and remain faithful to Him.

If we are His children, we can place our full confidence in His promises. Listen carefully to what Peter writes in I Peter Chapter 1, beginning with verse 3:

3) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

4) and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in Heaven for you.

5) Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (NIV)

Jesus uses the illustration of a shepherd to let us know His commitment and care for His sheep, as recorded in John chapter 10. Let us begin reading in verse 11

11) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

14) I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know me...

15) Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.

17) The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.

18) No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to take it again. This commandment I received from my Father.

27) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.

28) I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

29) My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. (NIV)

It should be comforting and encouraging to each of us to realize that we have a place reserved in Heaven and that no power can ever take it away. This special place is prepared and available to all who obey and remain faithful to God.

~Ronnie Young

Today's Bible Reading: I Peter 1:3-5; John 10:11-29

In Psalm 10, the psalmist is praying for the overthrow of the wicked. Notice in particular verses 4 and 11; "The wicked, throughthepride of his countenance, will not seek afterGod: God is not in all his thoughts.....He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it".

Many today, even those who profess to believe in God, will not truly seek after God. He is not in their thoughts. They think that they can just do as they please, and not even consider how God feels about what they do. They will even go so far as to believe that if enough time passes, God will forget about what they have done. They think that as long as they profess to believe in Him, and worship Him one day each week, then everything will be fine.

The problem with this kind of thinking, though, is that it DOES matter to God how we act. And God does not forget. He remembers all sin that has not been forgiven. An unforgiven sin from many years ago is just as vivid to God as one from only minutes ago. He sees and knows ALLthat we do every minute of our lives. Furthermore, The Bible says that God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5; Deut. 5:9). He demands FIRST place in our lives. Any other place is totally unacceptable.

In order for us to be pleasing to God, we must be obedient to His commands for salvation; then we must live each day of our lives putting Him first in everything that we do. We must evaluate our actions, and make sure that they always reflect the love of God. We must treat others as we want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). And we must never allow pride to stand in our way. We must be willing to humble ourselves before God (I Peter 5:5-6).

~George Bryan

Today's Bible reading: Psalm 10

Sin affects our lives in many ways, sometimes leading us in directions we never intended to take, causing us to say and do things which we never plan to say, and at times controls our thoughts to the point of controlling our entire being.

We all experience this problem, from the least to the greatest, the poorest to the richest, the humble to the proud. Even Paul, possible the greatest of all the apostles, had this same problem.

He wrote about it in the book of Romans beginning with Verse 11 in Chapter 7 which reads as follows: 11)"For sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it slew me. 14) For we know that the Law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15) For that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 17) Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."

The apostle Paul had to fight the same battles and overcome the same sin problems as we face today. At one point, he would exclaim! "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death." v.24)

His solution, of course, was Jesus Christ his Lord. He is still our solution today for any and all of our problems, especially sin and it's consequences!

There has never been a problem too small or great that He cannot solve. He will help you, comfort you, and guide you through all the difficulities of life.

It is never too late to turn to Him to solve the sin problems of our life.

~Ronnie Young

Today's Bible Reading: Romans 7:11-25

Sometime in our relationship with God we try to race ahead. My kids will sometimes do the same at a store or some place. They will be racing along, but quickly turn around and come back to a place of safety if they see a stranger or sense danger.

This reminds me of our relationship with God. Sometimes I race through my life, sure about where I am going. Then something happens and I go running back to God for help and protection.

What I should do is allow God to walk with me every minute of my life. Then when I face the unknown or some problem, I don't need to run back...He is right beside me!

Verse 133 of our Bible Says, "Lord, guide me like you promised". If I stay with God, He will stay with me. He will guide me through life.

Don't go through life without God...stay close to Him.
~Philip

Today's Bible reading: Psalm 119:127-133

Recently I was cleaning up my office, and I had a pile of old magazines to take to recycling. An elderly man stopped by my office before we moved the pile, and he started looking through the pile.

One of the magazines was an old devotional book, and I saw him reading it, or flipping through it. I offered it and others to the man, knowing if he read it he would get good from it. The man replied, "No Thanks...my wife has a lot of this stuff at home."

We all sometimes do the same thing. We own several Bibles, yet do not read God's message in any of them. God has offered us His word, the Bible, and we reject His offer. We should read and study every day. Then we can know what God wants us to do, and His word will help us to say "NO!" to the devil. Psalm 119:11 says, "I study Your teachings very carefully. Why? So I will not sin against You."

What will you do with God's word today?

~Philip

Today's Bible reading: Isaiah 55:8-13

I enjoy a funny story or picture. God made us (most of us) to have a sense of humor, and the Bible even tells us that laughter is like a good medicine. A good joke, the newspaper comics, or something funny on TV is good!

But sometimes the jokes we hear or read or even see on TV are not good. Some jokes contain crude humor or words we should not even say. Many TV shows use God's name in a bad way, even advertisements sometime cause us to have bad thoughts.

Our Bible reading today says, "...a wise person is careful to do the things that are right" (verse 21) We need to be very careful what jokes we tell or laugh at. Be careful what we read and watch. We need to make wise choices.

Remember it is okay to laugh and enjoy life. True joy is from God,and He has given us many things in the world to make us laugh. I hope you will look for those things today.

~Philip
Today's Bible reading: Proverbs 15:21-28

One day I read verse 18 of today's Bible reading: "Give thanks to God at all times". I thought to myself, did I read that correctly? So I read it again, and even looked in several different Bible translations. They all had the same message.

We have learned that no matter how much pain we are facing, or how hard our lives may be, we can find many things to thank God for. God, you see, is faithful and has blessed us with so much, even salvation through Jesus.

As we look back at our lives, it is easy to see how God helps us, comforts us, and loves us. I know we can truly give thanks to God at all times--no matter what we are facing.

What is happening in your life today? Are you giving thanks to God for everything He is doing for you?

~Philip

Today's Bible reading: I Thessalonians 5:12-24

I remember driving, when a severe thunderstorm appeared. The winds were fast, the rain was hard. As we crossed a long bridge, we all felt like we would be blown over the side. The rain was hitting the windshield so hard I could not see. Other cars were slowing down and even stopping on the road.

The storm ony lasted for a few minutes and then it began to be calmer, the sun even started to shine. Soon we saw a wonderful rainbow. It was bright, the colors were beautiful, and it was huge!

This was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen, and our kids search for another one like it. It was also a reminder of God's promise in our Bible reading today. I need to always remember that God is with us and knows what is best for us.

~Philip

Today's Bible reading: Genesis 9:1-17

When I was working with the church in Niceville, Florida, and now here at Elba, we helped people who have had their lives upset by the weather. Floods, tornados, and major hurricanes have resulted in families having lost almost everything they owned.
I remember the smell, the sight of damaged homes, and the look on people's faces. I remember the sound that debris makes when it scrapes down the side of your old black truck. I remember a mother saying, "I'm just so glad to be safe as a family. Thank you for helping, and thank God for savings us." Maybe I did not really get what she meant.
Since that time, I have seen other disasters, and known people who have lost all they have; even loved ones. But I think I understand what she meant...we have problems. People die. Horrible things happen, but God continues to protect and save. He wants to take care of us during the worst "storms" of our lives.
Today we should remember God is with us, and He will take care of us just like He took care of Paul in our Bible Reading.
Faith + Obedience + Salvation.
~Philip
Today's Bible reading: Acts 27:13-26

I know some children worry about the weather, maybe even some adults. Sometimes people worry about the funniest things.

I wonder if that is how Jesus felt in our Bible reading today. His friends were all concerned aout the storm, but Jesus was sleeping! They woke Him and He calmed the storm.

Sometimes small things can seem like a big storm. Our car has a flat tire or the toilet stops working. Other times bad things happen - a death in the family or natural disaster. We think that things can't get worse! In all these things, Jesus can calm our "storm". He can bring peace.

I want to give all my "storms" to Jesus. I want to have peace that only Jesus can give...to have that I must faithfully obey His will.

Faith + Obedience + Salvation

~Philip

Today's Bible reading: Mark 4:35-39

Sorry we did not get you "updated" last week, I was out of town at the National Workshop for the Deaf...this year hosted by the church in Greensboro, North Carolina. (We are excited that in 2010 the Elba Church will be the host congregation, using Faulkner's campus as the location...)

This week has started off, at least for us in Elba, as a wet one, and I have heard a lot of talk about the weather. We always talk about the weather.

I have often thought, it would be great to be able to talk about God as easily as we talk about the weather. Our God is more powerful than weather, in fact He controls it, but we sometimes find it hard to talk about Him.
What if they had a "God report" on the TV News? This would be a time to tell about all the amazing things God had done that day.

We must find opportunities today to talk about God. Talk about the great things He is doing in our lives and the lives of people around us. We should talk about and praise God, like the writer of our Bible reading.

Maybe today, we can tell someone about the one who is in control of the weather.

~Philip

Today's Bible reading: Psalm 66:2-4; Luke 8:22-25