Have Thine Own Way Lord, Have Thine Own Way

GREEK WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: βουλη (boule)

PRONUNCIATION:  boo-LAY

STRONG’S CONCORDANCE #: 1012

MEANING: advise; counsel; will

BACKGROUND OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY):

there are two primary words that can be translated "will"; one of these focuses on the emotional aspect of one's will;  this word focuses on the mental aspect and the mind as in thinking thigs through; the application is a well, thought out decision

HOW TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV:  counsel

# OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 12

KEY VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:

Ephesians 1:11

 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel (βουλη) of His own will."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

To know God’s will is something Christians have struggled with for years, and will continue to do so.  The word we are discussing today is different than another Greek word which focuses on knowing God’s will.  This particular Greek word has to do more with the thought of deliberate counsel, that is, thinking things through.  This word is used in Ephesians 1:11 where Paul states "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel (βουλη) of His own will." 

So exactly what does this mean where Paul says of God, “being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel (βουλη) of His own will."  This is what I believe Paul is trying to communicate.  This comes to be not by God consulting His creatures, or conforming to their views, but by His own views of what is proper and right. We are not to suppose that this is by "mere" will, as if it were arbitrary, or that God determines anything without good reason. The meaning is, that His purpose is determined by what "He" views to be right, and without consulting His creatures or conforming to their views. His dealings often seem to us to be arbitrary. We are incapable of perceiving the reasons of what He does. He makes those His friends who we should have supposed would have been the last to have become Christians. He leaves those who seem to us to be on the borders of the kingdom, and they remain unmoved and unaffected. But we are not thence to suppose that He is arbitrary. In every instance, we are to believe that there is a good reason for what He does, and one which we may be permitted yet to see, and in which we shall wholly acquiesce.

The phrase "counsel of his own will" is remarkable. It is designed to express in the strongest manner the fact that it is not by human counsel or advice. The word "counsel" - ‎boulee ‎- means "a council" or "senate;" then a determination, purpose, or decree. Here it means that God’s determination was formed by His own will, and not by human reasoning. Still, His will in the case may not have been arbitrary. When it is said of man that He forms His own purposes, and acts according to His own will, we are not to infer that He acts without reason. He may have the highest and best reasons for what He does, but He does not choose to make them known to others, or to consult others. So it may be of God, and so we should presume it to be. It may be added, that we ought to have such confidence in Him as to believe that He will do all things well. The best possible evidence that anything is done in perfect wisdom and goodness, is the fact that God does it. When we have ascertained that, we should be satisfied that all is right. 

I love that old hymn of the faith, “Have Thine Own Way”.  In 1902, Adelaide A. Pollard, a Bible teacher and hymn writer, was hoping to go to Africa as a missionary but found herself unable to raise the needed funds to make the journey. Greatly discouraged, she attended a prayer service one evening and as she sat there, she overheard an elderly woman say "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your own way with our lives." The elderly woman inspired Pollard and she contemplated the story of the potter from Jeremiah 18:3 and, upon her return home that evening, wrote all four stanzas before retiring for the night. She wrote these words,

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY:

As I write these words I need to remind myself of God’s design for I am frail.  I can write these words as if they apply to others and forget that they also apply to me.  My own challenge is that I stop trying to figure God out.  He is NOT to be “figured out” this side of glory and I need to stop.  The sooner I realize that, the easier the lessons are.  And right now He is showing me many life lessons.  What about you?  Are you letting God be God?  If not, turn that over to Him today.   What is it that you are not 100% trusting in God in today?  Commit that to him and watch what He does. 

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

I thank you Father for the full counsel of your good and perfect will.  I thank you that you do not have to seek the approval of your creation to fulfill your good and perfect will.  Help me father this day to have a greater appreciation for you calling on my life and for those issues that arise where you are seeking to conform me into your image.  Thank you for working out your perfect plan and forgive me for when I get in the way.  Cause me today Father to allow you full reign to orchestrate your plan in my life.  I pray this in Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

Hey, Watch Where You're Going

GREEK WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: βλέπω (blepo)

PRONUNCIATION:  BLEP-oh

STRONG’S CONCORDANCE #: 991

MEANING: see; notice; watch; beware; look over carefully; perceive; behold

BACKGROUND OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY): this word goes beyond just the thought of seeing something with the eyes, which would be a different Greek word; blepo has the thought of seeing AND perceiving;

HOW TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV:  see; behold; look; perceive; take heed; beware; watch

# OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 132

KEY VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:

1 Corinthians 10:12

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed (βλέπω) lest he fall." ESV

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Our Greek word of the day references 1 Corinthians 10:12, which is just PACKED with information.  The apostle Paul in cautioning those at the church in Corinth said, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). The word “thinketh” is from the Greek word ‎dokeo‎, which in this case means to be of the opinion, to reckon, to suppose, or to think, as it is translated here in the King James Version. In this verse, the word ‎dokeo expresses the idea of what a person thinks or supposes about himself. There is nothing here to verify that the individual's opinion is correct; only that it is the prevailing opinion he has regarding himself. In just a moment, you'll see why this is so important for you to understand!

Next, Paul says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth....” The word “standeth” comes from the Greek word ‎istemi‎, which simply means to stand, to stand fast, to stand firm, or to stand upright. But when the words ‎dokeo ‎and ‎istemi ‎are combined together as Paul uses them in this verse, it means, “Wherefore let anyone who has the self-imposed opinion of himself that he is standing strong and firm....” Then Paul adds the next critically important words: “...take heed lest he fall.”

The words “take heed” are from the Greek word ‎blepo‎, which means to watch, to see, to behold, or to be aware. The Greek tense indicates the need not only to watch, but to be continually watchful. Paul is urging us to live in an uninterrupted state of watchfulness regarding our spiritual lives and the firm stance of faith that we claim to possess!

Why does he insist that we be so watchful? He goes on to say, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” The word “fall” is ‎pipto‎, which means to fall. In the New Testament, it is used to depict someone who falls into a terrible predicament or into a worse state than he was in before. It can also depict someone who falls into sin; falls into ruin; or falls into some type of failure. The word ‎pipto ‎that Paul uses in this verse emphatically describes a downfall from a formerly presumed high and haughty position. Therefore, it isn't just a little stumbling that Paul is referring to; it is a downward plummet that causes one to sorrowfully crash!

When you put all of this together, 1 Corinthians 10:12 could be translated: “If anyone has the opinion of himself that he is standing strong and firm, he needs to be continually watchful and always on his guard lest he trip, stumble, and fall from his overconfident position and take a nose-dive downward to a serious crash!”

We must never become so smug that we fall into complacency. The day we allow that to happen, we are in big trouble! Like the city of Sardis, we may end up with huge cracks we aren't even aware of. That is exactly when the enemy will slip in to take us captive in different areas of our lives. Therefore, we must match our confidence with watchfulness!

Unfortunately, it appears that the church in Sardis precisely mirrored the city of Sardis. Jesus told them, “...I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and are dead” (Revelation 3:1). At one time the church in Sardis had a great name and a testimony of being spiritually alive and vibrant. But because the believers in that church got too busy and failed to give heed to the foundational things in their lives, cracks began to form spiritually over time. Eventually the devil found a way to slip into that church to ruin its name and influence. Because of spiritual negligence, this church body lost its vitality until Jesus even said it was “dead.”

In Revelation 3:2, Jesus told them, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” I love this verse, for it alerts us to the fact that it is never too late to do something to fix the problem! Jesus said, “Locate the problem! Find a solution! Strengthen what you have! Do it before it's too late!”

CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY:

If you have a part of your life that is broken, cracked, or splintered, there is still hope that it can be restored. It may require emergency care to get it on life support for now, but it can be resuscitated and brought back to life again. Preventative medicine is always better than corrective surgery, so learn to take the right steps to avoid these problems.

It may seem like it takes a lot of time to stay watchful and prayerful about your spiritual life, but I assure you that it is less expensive and less painful than it is to crash spiritually and then have to fix things in your life that never had to be broken in the first place!

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Lord, help me stay watchful regarding the condition of my spiritual life! I recognize that sometimes I get too busy and fail to pray, wrongly presuming that I am strong enough to be able to survive in a state of prayerlessness. Especially after what I've read today, I realize that this kind of smugness and pride has always gotten me into trouble. Therefore, I turn from apathy and the wrong kind of confidence, and I turn to the Cross! Please examine my heart and help me identify those areas of my life that need to be fixed or corrected. Once You reveal to me what needs to be changed, please give me the power to apply the needed correction.  I pray this in Jesus' name! Amen.

Come Up Here

GREEK WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: anabainw (anabaino)

PRONUNCIATION:  a-nah-BAIN-oh

STRONG’S CONCORDANCE #: 305

MEANING: arise; ascend; to go up

BACKGROUND OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY): meaning "to go up again by foot";

HOW TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV:  from two Greek words literally meaning "to go up again by foot"; used to describe how someone got unto a horse; also used to describe the act of rising for the judge in a courtroom;

# OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 84 (13 in Revelation)

KEY VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:

Revelation 11:12

"And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up (anabainw) here.'  Then they went up (anabainw) into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

In Revelation 11 we have the unveiling of the two witnesses.  While there has been some debate as to who these two witnesses were, my focus this morning is not on WHO they were, but on WHAT happened to them.  The partying and gift giving of "Dead Witnesses Day" will be suddenly and dramatically halted by a most shocking event. After the three and a half days during which their bodies lay in disgrace on a Jerusalem street, the breath of life from God (cf. Genesis 2:7) came into the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet. Needless to say, great fear fell upon those who were watching them. Panic will seize the unregenerate world as their hated and reviled tormentors suddenly spring to life. If this is viewed on television, it will be replayed repeatedly. They no doubt expected the two resurrected witnesses to resume their ministry of preaching and working miracles, but God had other plans. There came a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up (anabainw) here." This is likely the voice of the Lord, who summoned John to heaven in 4:1. Then the two preachers went up into heaven in the cloud, as their enemies watched them in awe. This two-man Rapture will no doubt also be replayed endlessly for the entire world to see. It is reminiscent of the ascension of Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) and the mysterious death and burial of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5-6).

Some may wonder why the two witnesses were not permitted to preach after their resurrection. But signs and wonders do not make the gospel believable, because "if [unbelievers] do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead" (Luke 16:31). After hearing the teaching and observing the miraculous ministry of the Son of God, unbelievers rejected and killed Him.

Their ministry completed, the two ascended with the whole world watching up to God's glorious presence, where they no doubt heard Him say, "Well done, good and faithful slave[s] . . . enter into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:21). 

CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY:

There is much debate over the timing of the rapture, which I will not get into today.  The one area that I do however feel is important is the aspect of the literal nature of the rapture.  I am one who firmly believes in a literal rapture.  These two witnesses described in the Book of Revelation actually are raptured up, which will be much the same way as we as believers will be raptured.  But remember, this event is reserved for believers only.  Have you trusted Christ as your personal Savior?  Do you know that you know that you are going to heaven?  If you are not 100% certain, you need to resolved that issue before it is too late. 

For those of you who have already trusted Christ, are you “waiting and watching” as we are told in his Word?  While we cannot and will not know that exact hour, the Scriptures do tell us we can know the season (Matthew 24:36-51).  May we be ready for His return. 

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

I thank you Father that one day you will return for your bride and say to us “Come Up Here” and we will join for that great marriage feast of the Lamb.  I thank you Father that you have something much greater for me than what I face through and in this world.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Spotless In Christ

GREEK WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: αmωmος (amomos)

PRONUNCIATION:  AH-moe-mos

STRONG’S CONCORDANCE #: 299

MEANING: without blame, spotless

BACKGROUND OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY): from two Greek words literally meaning "without spot"

HOW TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV:  without blame; without spot' without blemish; faultless; blameless

# OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 9

KEY VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:

Ephesians 1:4 - "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless (αmωmος) before Him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

God chose us in order that we might be holy and blameless. ‎Amomos ‎(blameless) literally means without blemish, or spotless. Because we are chosen in Him we are holy and blameless before Him. Because Jesus Christ gave Himself for us as "a lamb unblemished and spotless" (1 Peter 1:19), we have been given His own unblemished and spotless nature. The unworthy have been declared worthy, the unrighteous declared holy. It is Christ's eternal and foreordained plan to "present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:27).

Obviously Paul is talking about our position and NOT our practice. We know that in our living we are far from the holy standard and far from being blameless. Yet "in Him," Paul said in another place, we "have been made complete" (Colossians 2:10). All that God is, we become in Jesus Christ. That is why salvation is secure. We have Christ's perfect righteousness. Our practice can and does fall short, but our position can never fall short, because it is exactly the same holy and blameless position before God that Christ has. We are as secure as our Savior, because we are in Him, waiting for the full redemption and glorious holiness that awaits us in His presence.

And because God declares us and leads us to be holy and blameless, we should strive to live lives now that reflect the holiness and blamelessness that are our destiny.    The idea of us being “spotless” is based on the requirement in the Hebrew sacrificial system that an animal offered in sacrifice to God had to be perfect, without any defect or blemish. The two adjectives occur together also in Ephesians 5:27, and the whole clause here is closely related to Colossians 1:22, "to present us as holy, blameless, and faultless before him."

It may be appropriate to render holy by "as God would want us to be." Though the meaning of holy in this context is primarily ethical, it is more than just "good." In some languages the word traditionally used for "holy" means "taboo." This idea should be avoided here, and a word or expression that means "clean" or "pure" should be used, if it is clearly understood that spiritual or moral purity is meant. The phrase without fault is simply a negative way of stating essentially what is stated positively in the term holy. In many languages without fault is translated simply "without any sin" or "without any guilt."

CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY:

Nothing of our “practice” can be spotless and without fault (αmωmος) because we are born in sin.  But praise God that IN CHRIST we in fact are “spotless”, just as expected of the sacrificial lamb in the Old Testament.  My challenge is that though we are created “in sin”, why not seek ways to “clean up your life”, not to EARN salvation…but to PROVE it.  God wants you and I not only to be holy, since we already are in Christ and have been “before the foundation of the world”, but He wants is to LIVE holy lives.  Commit one area of your life to Him today where you are marred.  Ask His Holy Spirit to reveal to you that one area wherein you struggle most and ask the Father to begin to cleanse you of that unrighteousness. 

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Spotless Heavenly Father, it is so hard for me to believe that I am spotless before your through because of Jesus Christ.  Not because of anything I have done or anything I have earned, but because you loved me and love me and have done so since before time…since the foundation of the world.  I thank you Father for choosing me and extending the shed blood of your Son to cover my sin.  Forgive me for the flaws and sin in my life that have made with so many spots.  Yet I thank you that through the eyes of your Son you see me as spotless and pure.  Cause me today to have victory in the area of _______ in my life, where I have shown forth the greatest blemishes and cause me to portray the righteousness of Christ.  I pray for this in that precious, holy and spotless name of Jesus.  Amen.

Laying Out the Law on Lawlessness

GREEK WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: άνομος  (anomos)

PRONUNCIATION:  AH-nom-os

STRONG’S CONCORDANCE #: 459

MEANING: lawless; godless; criminal

ENGLISH WORDS DERIVED FROM: anomy

BACKGROUND OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY): two Greek words literally meaning "without the law"

HOW TRANSLATED IN KJV AND/OR ESV:  transgressor; wicked; lawless; unlawful

# OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 10

KEY VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:

1 Timothy 1:9

 "Realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless (άνομος) and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers." NASB

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

When we talk of “the law” in 21^st century Christianity, folks are quick to also use the phrase “legalism.”  While we are not bound by the law, the law still serves as a guide for us today.  Paul, sharing with a young pastor named Timothy, Paul is trying to offer Timothy advise relative to the law and its impact on those within his young congregation.  Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:9, "Realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless (άνομος) and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers." The reality is that the law is needed to keep order in a ruthless society.  Sadly enough, mankind left to his own flesh will lead to destruction.  Why? Because the law is for those who are lawless, or without the law.  The law helps to set us in the right direction.  It becomes a measurement towards righteousness. 

There has been great variety in the interpretation of this passage. Some suppose that the law here refers to the ceremonial laws of Moses; others to the denunciatory part of the law; and others that it means that the chief purpose of the law was to restrain the wicked. It seems clear, however, that the apostle does not refer merely to the ceremonial law, for he specifies that which condemns the unholy and profane; the murderers of fathers and mothers; liars and perjured persons. It was not the ceremonial law which condemned these things, but the moral law. It cannot be supposed, moreover, that the apostle meant to say that the law was not binding on a righteous man, or that he was under no obligation to obey it—for he everywhere teaches that the moral law is obligatory on all mankind.

To suppose also that a righteous man is released from the obligation to obey the law, that is, to do right, is an absurdity. Nor does he seem to mean that the law was not given for the purpose of justifying a righteous man—for this was originally one of its designs. Had man always obeyed it, he would have been justified by it. The meaning seems to be, that the purpose of the law was not to fetter and perplex those who were righteous, and who aimed to do their duty and to please God. It was not intended to produce a spirit of servitude and bondage. As the Jews interpreted it, it did this, and this interpretation appears to have been adopted by the teachers at Ephesus, to whom Paul refers. The whole tendency of their teaching was to bring the soul into a state of bondage, and to make religion a condition, of servitude. Paul teaches, on the other hand, that religion was a condition of freedom, and that the main purpose of the law was not to fetter the minds of the righteous by numberless observances and minute regulations, but that it was to restrain the wicked from sin. This is the case with all law. No good man feels himself lettered and manacled by wholesome laws, nor does he feel that the purpose of law is to reduce him to a state of servitude. It is only the wicked who have this feeling—and in this sense the law is made for a man who intends to do wrong.

CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY:

When you think of someone being “lawless” or immoral, who comes to mind?  Set time aside to pray diligently for that person.  Pray that the law would cause that person to become sensitive to their wrong doing.  Find a way to share the love of Christ with them, not as a judge, but as a loving friend.  Ask God to cause the law to penetrate the life of this person and to cause them to see the way of their sin. 

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

I thank you Father today for your Holy law.  I thank you that it has been a standard for me toward righteous living.  Not that I am better than others, but that your righteousness is manifested in and through me by your Holy Spirit.  Thank you that I have been made righteous through the blood of your Son.  May your law be ever present to allow me to know your holiness.  In the holy name of Jesus I pray.   Amen. 

How To Be An Android

GREEK WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: ανδριζομmaι (andrizomai)

PRONUNCIATION:  an-DRID-zoh-mai

STRONG’S CONCORDANCE #: 407

MEANING: act like a man; to be brave;

ENGLISH WORDS DERIVED FROM: android

BACKGROUND OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY): this word comes from the primary word for "male";

HOW TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV:  quit ye like men (KJV); act like men (NASB & ESV)

# OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 1

KEY VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:

1 Corinthians 16:13 - "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men (ανδριζομmaι), be strong."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Several years back if you had mentioned the word “android”, one might think of the Star Wars movie and C3PO or R2D2.  Today the thoughts would turn to a smart phone.  The English word “android” comes from our Greek word for the day, ανδριζομmaι (andrizomai).  This particular word is only used one time in the Greek New Testament in 1 Corinthians 16:13.  Here Paul is trying to encourage specifically the male leaders within the church at Corinth when he tells them, or better yet, commands them "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."  Paul is actually closing out his letter to the church at Corinth with some final challenges.  But he specifically turns his attention to the men, the male leaders of the church.  And he issues these words as a command.  In the Greek language this is a single word, translated “act like men” (the KJV says “quit ye like men”).  It is written in what is called the “Present Middle Imperative”.   Let me try to explain that briefly.  First “imperative” means that it was a command.  This was NOT a friendly suggestion.  In all likelihood it was a command because the men were failing here.  Second, the “present” tense means that the action is to be ongoing.  In other words Paul says “continuously be acting like men.”  The middle voice basically means that this is something that men must find within themselves.  While that strength comes from God, we as men must actively and aggressively work towards this. 

Personally this is where I believe Adam got himself in trouble in the Garden of Eden.  He failed his part at being a protector for his wife.  He dropped his guard and did not act as the man that God created him as.  He was not “on the alert” as Paul states. 

The basic idea that Paul was trying to convey is that of mature courage. The mature man has a sense of control, confidence, and courage that the immature or childish person does not have. Again we see that Paul's command is for the Corinthian men to be the opposite of what they normally were. They were characterized by anything but maturity.

Paul already had pleaded with them, "Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature" (14:20). The Corinthians needed to grow up. Even when he pastored among them the apostle was not able to talk to them "as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it." Since he had left Corinth they still had not matured. "Indeed, even now," he continues, "you are not yet able" (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). He has to threaten them with discipline, just as a parent must do with a stubborn child. "What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod... ?" (4:21).

Maturity is one of the marks of love (1 Corinthians 13:11), a virtue in which the Corinthians were especially deficient. Love strives for maturity in all good things — in doctrine, in spiritual insight, in emotional stability and control, in personal relationships, in moral purity, and in all the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Above all we should "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18), "until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ .... But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:13,15).

How does a believer grow and mature? By longing "for the pure milk of the word, that by it [we] grow in respect to salvation" (1 Peter 2:2). The Bible provides spiritual and moral nourishment. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY:

While I know these words may sound as if they are only for men, I want to make a challenge to all.  Yet I do feel a strong sense to challenge men to “step it up”.  All too often our churches are made and kept strong by the women.  Thank God for their faithfulness.  Yet I feel that even the strongest of women are looking for men to be men.  They are looking for us as men to step up to the plate, accept our god-given responsibilities, and act upon them.  To “act like men” ανδριζομmaι.  Men, make s decision today to show forth the courage that God gave you.  Apply that in a Biblical and Christian manner.  Ladies, find ways to encourage your husband in this manner.  And to all, let’s be alert for and on behalf of one another. 

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

MEN

Heavenly Father, thank you that you created me as a man.  Thank you for the courage and strength you have given me, both physically and spiritually.  Forgive me for the times when I have not stood as a protector for those whom you have given me charge to care for.  Give me the courage I need to stand for righteousness today.  Cause me to be alert to my surroundings, especially in a spiritual manner.  May today be the beginning of my new awareness of my need to “act like a man.”  I pray this in the holy name of Jesus my Lord.  Amen

WOMEN

Heavenly Father, thank you that you created me as a woman.  Thank you for the men that you have placed in my life.  Thank you for my father.  Thank you for my husband.  Thank you for the men who have been there for me.  And father, for those men who may not have been there as needed, would you grant them today the courage they need to act like men?  Would you cause me to be an encouragement to them and not a discouragement?  As a woman, cause me also to be courageous in my own life and not look for excuses to let you down.  Thank you for this blessed day.  In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.