http://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/all-men-bible/2012/02/22

All the Men of the Bible – Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Memory Verse of the Week:

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

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• Nuggets – Wait! do not Procrastinate. (ptl2010.com)
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Sometimes I wonder how God did it. I am completely amazed. This week I have two anatomy exams and a psychology exam. Averaging at least three hours a day for the past two and a half weeks studying just the cells, what they are made of, different types, their functions, sizes and etc(I won’t bore you with all the real details of the cell). However I can’t even come close to being able to grasp all that information into my head. God however instantly thought it all up, and made it! Here I have been studying weeks just on the basic cell and can’t even come close to understanding it all, and God thought it up and made it in a split second. That is so amazing! Just the human body itself is fo vast and complex, there is no way I can imagine it being the way it is, without some sort of creator. This creator can’t just be any old ‘engineer’ though. The knowledge and power that this person would need to have is way beyond anything my mind can even come close to grasping! I am so happy to say that this person is my God!

The other thing that is just blowing my mind away right now, is colors. The past few days in psychology we have been discussing how the eye works. Today we got into cones. To keep it basic, cones in the eye is what helps us identify different colors. Humans have three cones, on average. Those who are color blind only have two cones, and can not see all the colors that we can. What blew my mind away is that there are some animals, I believe the gold fish was one of them, has four cones. There are  more colors out there, than our eyes can even see! Thinking about that for a while just blew my mind away! I can’t even make up another color, no matter how hard I try! So there being a whole another color out there is just baffling to me!  As I was trying to imagine another color in my head(I encourage you to try to think of a color that you have never seen before) I thought about where all the colors came from, God. God created all these colors! God created color out of nothing! Just thinking about that completely  baffled my brain! What does it take to have the ability to create colors?

So in all this, I just wanted to say how awesome my God is! I couldn’t concentrate on steadying anymore, this is all that is on my mind now! The Creator of the Universe and everything in it, is on my side! He is helping me out on the path of life. What do I have to fear? This makes me eternally grateful! It really makes Romans 8:31 come alive.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

When learning about the body, this song just constantly replays in my head.

Memory Verse of the Week:

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Related articles

• The eyes have it: Seeing ultraviolet, exploring color (extremetech.com)
• What is Color Blindness? (healthadel.com)
• How Colors Influence the Visual Brain [Infographic] (ewriting.pamil-visions.com)
• The Importance of Color Vision and Art (segmation.wordpress.com)

1. an immoral or evil habit or practice.
2. immoral conduct; depraved or degrading behavior: a life of vice.
3. sexual immorality, especially prostitution.
4. a particular form of depravity.
5. a fault, defect, or shortcoming: a minor vice in his literary style.

According to dictionary.com that ^ is the definition of a vice. I want to add one more definition to vice.

6. The action or desire that separates you from God

What’s Your Vice?

We all have many vices, all of the seven deadly sins, but there is one or two that really gets at you. It can be sexuality, lust, money, pride, smoking, alcohol, greed, anger, jealousy, laziness, and etc. If you don’t know yours, it is important for you to figure it out so that you may be able to admit your weakness to God so He can hold you up. In our weakness, He is strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

My Vice

As for me it’s spending money. If I see something I want, and I can’t say no, if I have the money. If I don’t have money, I could care less about buying anything. But as soon as I get money, I tend to start to obsess over spending it. It controls me. I line between what I need, and what I want disappears. It’s hard. When I have no money, it becomes very easy. It is at that point I can easily decipher between what I need and don’t, I can easily say no to the most tempting of things to buy. As soon as I get money, it all changes. I become a slave to the lust of earthly objects.

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

My treasure becomes earthly objects, and there my heart lies. It disappears form God, and goes to this lust of, to put in its truest form, dust.

Time for Change

In order to fix your vice, you must be able to identify it and accept it. Once you have down so, give it God. Let Him do the work and ‘Be Still.’ God can carry you through anything.

I would like to encourage anyone to comment below about their own vice. Let others know that they aren’t the only ones struggling with their vice, no one is alone.

Dear Heavenly Father, please be with our weaknesses and in our weakness, be our strength. Help us to seek you and keep you as our treasure. Thanks for all that you have done. Amen.

Memory Verse of the Week:

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Related articles

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• Galatians 5:1-26 (vidblogdotcom.wordpress.com)
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• If you allow yourself to be captivated by lust, don’t be surprised when you’re it’s captive. #Jesusfrees. (god-still-speaks.com)

Father God, I’m prayin’ to you for somebody, who knows you Lord but just hasn’t, hasn’t been seein’ you in the right view lately, Hear me out…

Father, I’m prayin’ for a friend he and I are pretty close, and out of all my friends for this one I’m concerned the most. He say he readin’ daily but he ain’t really learnin’. He been in church but say that he ain’t moved by any sermon. His face weak, he ain’t prayed in a week, he wake up and just weep with his face in the sink Lord, you gotta help my man, I’m prayin’ for him daily, he ain’t sinned but it just seem as if he goin’ crazy. He say he feelin’ trapped, can’t even head up the mall coz every lady’s half-dressed temptin’ him to lust and fall. He keep the TV off, videos just make him feel that he ain’t really nothin’ without money, girls and shiny wheels. The other day he told me that he felt less a man coz he ain’t have a five-year plan or a piece of land and man it’s crazy coz his family think so much of him, plus he got a godly wife who always showin’ love for him but he’s strugglin’, even though he talk to me, I tell him what to do but he don’t listen when he oughta’ be. I’m scared for him coz there’s people that look up to him, he got some younger siblings who been changed by what he’s done for them but is it done for him, Lord don’t let it be, if he don’t wanna talk to you then Father hear from me, is it done for him, Lord don’t let it be, if he don’t wanna talk to you then Father hear from me…

Yeah, I’m prayin’ for you, yeah, I’m prayin’ for you
Yeah, I’m prayin’ for you, yeah, yeah, I’m prayin’ for you…

God, his condition is worsen since we were last conversed and I’m with him now and he ain’t doin’ well and this I’m certain. He say he tryna’ trust you, doesn’t wanna disgust you but he was in the mist of sinners and did not discuss you and just today his anxiety’s got the best of him, he knows Christ but for hours refuse to rest in Him, he’s not the best of men but Lord I know he really loves you and I can’t understand why lately he’s not thinkin’ of you. People trust this dude, you could crush this dude, Father he needs more of you I pray you touch this dude, what can I say to him? I’m determined to pray for him Father empty and brake him I pray you’ll just have your way with him, coz there’s a change in him and the effects are strong, I pray you open up his heart before the next song and when he gets home, I pray he’ll open up the sixty-six book love letter you wrote and soak it up coz he ain’t hearin’ You and he ain’t feelin’ me and God I know it’s killin’ You because it’s killin’ me and matter of fact there’s somethin’ else he’s concealin’ see, the person that I’ve been prayin’ about is really me…

Yeah, I’m prayin’ for you, yeah, I’m prayin’ for you
Yeah, I’m prayin’ for you, yeah, yeah, I’m prayin’ for you…

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So it is Valentines Day, one of, if not, the most hated holiday. As for me, I personally love valentines day. I think it is so cute, the emotions of those who are romantically interested in someone, get into and all they do for them on the day. Today I was walking through Walmart and I just couldn’t help but smile seeing all the valentines day stuff, and watching about six guys at a time swarm up and down the valentines asiles looking for last minute things for their girls, it is super cute! And for all else, candy is so much cheaper during valentines day! I personally haven’t had a valentines in, I don’t know, four years? When I did have a valentines, I did not like this holiday. I thought it was a waste of money, and thought it was  dumb to set one day of the year aside to tell your (significant other, wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, special friend, what ever word you want to use here) how much you appreciate them, and that you should be doing that everyday. I guess I’ve changed and I can not wait for the day that I can absolutely spoil someone on valentines day!

Enough of that now. I am honestly not sure what I want to blog about because there is so much you can blog about relating to valentines day, so we are just going to see where it goes.

I guess I am going from a single persons point of view and want to remind you of one particular quality that us christians should look for in finding some one. The most important thing is that they love God, and not just love God, but love Him more than anything! Love God more than they could ever even love you! God must come first. He needs to be at the center of our relationships, always seeking Him. I absoutely love to use this verse when talking about realtionships,

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Another way to think about is imagine some sticks. You can easily break one in half, however if you try to break 3 at the same time it becomes a lot more difficult! Now God is a lot stronger than one little twig, He is more like a the base of the tree, try to imagine snapping the base of the tree with just your hands. You can’t! So with God at the center of our relationships, we cannot be broken. As soon as we start to fade away from God in our relationships, we lose the base of the tree and just become two twigs than can easily be snapped.

Look for someone who loves God more than anything, and shows it in his/her daily life! I can not stress how important that is! Unfortunately, it is such a rare quality. If someone has that kind of love for the Lord, he/she is bound to have all the other qualities that you want in your special person!

My warning is, don’t fall for someone who doesn’t love God more than anything, and expect to change them. You CANNOT change some one. Lecrae had a facebook status today that says “Ladies you can’t change him. That’s God’s job. The only women that ever changed me were babysitters” You are just putting yourself in trouble and risking your relationship with God, and in all reality you are putting them before your love for Christ. There is a reason why God over and over again tells His people not to found their wives in other cities that worship other gods. It is cause it is going to ruin our relationship with God. I can not think of a specific example, but I know there is at least three men in the bible who disobeyed Gods instructions and went after these women and because they seeked out these women, they ruined their relationships with God. You can not change someone!

To wrap it up, find someone who loves God more than anything! Once you have found this person, stick with them and don’t let them go! Learn from them, seek God with them, grow with them and put God at the center of your relationship!

Valentines Day Bible Verses

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

1 John 4:12

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Psalms 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Mark 12:33

To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

1 John 2:19

We love because He first loved us.

Song of Solomon 8:6

Place me like a seal overe your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

Ephesians 4:12

Therefore be imitators of God as well-beloved children.

1 John 3:18

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Song of Solomon 2:16

My lover is mine, and I am his.

1 John 4:7

Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Colossians 3:14

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

1 Corinthians 13:1

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.

Romans 5:5

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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If you have time, I suggest you watch this ten minute video found at the link below.

http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/#most-viewed

-Click on Brian Welch

In this video Brain speaks about he had all the money in the world, but he was never satisfied. He tried to fill his void with drugs, but it was never enough. It just brought him back to needing to have more and more, it controlled his life and ruined his relationships. As quoted toward Tony Stark(Iron Man) by Doctor Yinsen “So you’re a man who has everything, but nothing.” The same could be applied to Brain. He had everything we dream of in the world, but yet nothing. A big empty gap in his heart. Until that is, he found Jesus. As cliche as it wounds, Jesus is all we need. The reason why there is such a big empty void in so many peoples heart is because we truly need Jesus. He is also the only thing big enough to fill this void. Unfortunately, those who don’t know Jesus, go out looking in the wrong places to fill this void and fill it with all the wrong stuff. And since this stuff can never satisfy the void, we never become happy. I shouldn’t just accuse those not knowing Jesus of this, even those who have a strong staining relationship with Jesus all to often try to fill our heart with earthly desires that tear us away from Jesus. God is the only one that can fill our hearts. He can take away our pain. He can stop our addictions. God is enough.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

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• Former Korn Guitarist, Brian “Head” Welch, Publishes Second Book, “STRONGER: Forty Days of Metal and Spirituality” (prweb.com)

The school year started and right away I was asked to teach multi-media and coach soccer at my old high-school. I agreed to it, and I didn’t see it as to big of a public speaking role. However shortly after I accepted that, the school asked me if I wanted another role to play. That role was to be a monthly speaker at chapel(Chapel happens everyday at the school. It is a15-30 min short church service for the students). Completely forgetting about the conversation I had with God, I completely rejected the offer. I was scared beyond beliefe and gave every excuse in the world as to why I can’t, a few of them even rebutted with me telling me that I am completely capable of it. Ultimately I denied the role they asked of me, and even more importanlty the I denied Gods plan and His ability to help me. It took me a long time before I realized what I did, and when I did I felt absolutely horrible about it. I remembered I had told God that, yes I am going to avoid it at all costs, but if He presented it to me, I would do it. So I prayed to God about that a lot and asked for His forgiveness.

That was many months ago and I had slowly started to forget about it. God has now presented me with another opportunity. At the time that I had originally realized that God was going to use me as a public speaker at some point in my life, I had decided to sponsor a child through Compassion International, which I completely recommend to everyone because it is one of the easiest and greatest tasks you can do for a child in need and bring them closer to Jesus. It’s a truly amazing experience. Well just the other day I received a letter from Compassion International. Apparently I have been one of their “most faithful and committed sponsors” and they have asked me to do a little public speaking for them. They want me to speak infront of my church so that I “can change the story for many children in desperate need.” They want me to speak about Compassion International and ultimately have more people sponsor children. Instead of giving me a small task of speaking infront of some students, now God wants me to speak infront of my whole congregation!

Rethinking through all of this, it really makes me realize that God is smarter than us and has a plan. I love how God put in on my heart that I knew I would speak for Him someday. He knew from the very start that I was going to reject speaking at chapel infront of the highschool, so right than and there He gave me the backup plan, which I knew realize was His plan all along. The very next day after I realized what God wanted of me, He had me sponsor a child so that I would end up speaking for these children in need. It just makes me laugh how God knows what we are to do and sets it all up, before we even realize it. I also laugh because before I could reject this second opportunity of public speaking, He gave me a complete instruction manual of everything that I need to say and do, all I need to do is be the voice to the people. Every bit of the presentation is COMPLETELY planned out, I all have to do is be the voice to the people. God isn’t letting me give Him excuses this time. And this is one of the many reasons why I LOVE God!

I want to ask of those of you reading this, that you will give me the strength, courage, and obedience to be the voice for these children in need, and that I will not turn down this God planned opportunity.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

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Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

In the past, I never put the two verses together, I always viewed them as separate verses unrelated to each other. When they are put together, the power behind them is much more impactful! Let’s look at them separately first, and than combine them

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

As easy as this sounds, I find myself leaning on my own understanding telling myself I can’t do this or that, for whatever reason(s). We all have our excuses, sometimes we blame our history saying this is what always happens, and therefore always will. I don’t want to use any specific examples, but we all got things on our mind that we want to do, but we feel we can’t because of whatever reason. This verse speaks against that! It’s telling you not to lean on your own understanding, don’t let excuses get in the way, don’t let how you think bring you down. Just trust in the Lord! It doesn’t matter how screwed up, how hopeless we might feel, just trust in the Lord.

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight

I like this a lot! Just submit your plans to Him, and He will bring you to your destination. However, this is where a lot of people can go wrong and lose their faith. There are a handful of verses like this that tell us just to commit our plans to Him, and we will succeed. What we often find our self doing than is giving Him our plans and expecting them to succeed. Once we realize our plans aren’t going through, we start quoting scripture out at God in our prayers, like He doesn’t know what the bible says (funny thought). Once our plans don’t go through and something else all together happens, we feel extremely discouraged and we lose our trust, and began to doubt, a lot. Why won’t God do what I asked of Him, it says in the bible He would. Does He not love me? Does He not care? Is he busy doing other things? Am I unimportant? Is what the bible says really true? We have all been and felt this discouragement. We need to learn to not take this verse out of context with the bible as a whole.

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

There is another verse that hits the point I want to make exactly, but I can not remember it. The point is, whatever we do, we must do it for the Lord. Whatever we ask for in pray, it must ultimately be for the Lord. The Lord knows our thoughts, and the Lord knows how what we are asking for is going to affect our lives. If what we ask for doesn’t please Him, separates you, or He knows there is a better option, He probably isn’t going to give it to us. So when we ask of something before the Lord, check your motives. Make sure it is pleasing to Him, and you are asking for the right reasons.

What We Learn From the Two Verses

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

I like to take these verses and switch the lines around and add in a line.

In all your ways submit to Him,
Make your ways pleasing to Him.
And lean not on your own understanding;
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And he will make your paths straight

I just love to know that if I submit my ways to Jesus, making sure they are pleasing to Him, knowing that my understanding of His will is damaged, so I have to trust in Him, and He will make my paths straight. Trust in God to give me what I truly want and need.

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• Time Spent With Grandpa (fromheelstoboots.wordpress.com)

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

• “What do I want to do?”
• “What do I want to major in?”
• “When am I going to have a family?”
• “Am I doing what I really want to do?”
• And so on..

We get so caught up in the questions, I know I most certainly do and it is stressing me out. However, I am not going to write about these questions. Instead I want to challenge you to a different question, one that is more important these. What do you want to be known for?

Lets look at some famous people. What comes to mind when you think of Adolf Hitler, Abraham Lincoln, Lucifer(The Devil), Martin Luther King Jr, and Charles Manson? With each person you associate a different set of feelings and emotions. Some positive, and some negative. Now again lets look at some people in your life. Who has impacted you the most in your life, and how do you remember them? Was it a pastor, a youth pastor, a teacher, a coach, a family member, a friend? Who impacted you and inspired you to become who you are today? (Please say a short prayer for these people, where would we be without them? – Lost)

So now back to the question, what do you want to be known for? As for me, I want to be known as the person who loves Jesus, but more than just that, I want be viewed as a Godly character. I want people to see Jesus, through me. I want people to think “Oh yeah that Josh kid, he sure had a passion for Christ. He has been a great christian leader. He inspired me to be who I am, and to have a closer relationship with Christ.” Maybe for you, you want to the friend that can always be counted on, or the one with great advice. Whatever it is, do it!

The question I want to leave you with is this, if you were to die today what would you be known for? Would people know you as a christian? or would they only know you because you loved pickles. “Oh yeah that (your name here), he/she sure liked pickles.” 

• What do you want to be known for?
• How will you strive to achieve others to know you for (insert what you want to be known for)
• If you were to die today, what would you be known for?

Scott Hamilton – I Am Second.

I really love how God and us have completely different perspectives. God uses his cancer to one make him an olympic gold medalist, as well giving Scott a relationship with Him. It’s amazing to think where this man would have been if he never had a brain tumor, or if the doctors had discovered it when he was only a child. This man would have ended up as a completely different person.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Scott Hamilton is living proof of this. We may not know the purpose of our suffering, illness, struggles, and etc, but the bible says that God will use it to his purpose. I love knowing that! Hang on to what you are going through, God will use you.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Sometimes we won’t ever know why we have to go through X, Y or Z, or why people we know have gone through X, Y or Z. We just have to TRUST that God knows what He is doing. We may not be able to see it, but He can! And that brings me great joy and comfort!