Jan 31 Proverbs Encouragement from the Word of God

I was encouraged yesterday in church.  Was it from the music?  Yes  Was it from the preaching? Yes.  Was it from teaching the teen class?  Yes.  But I received the most encouragement from a friend of mine in church.  His simple act of kindness brought encouragement to me to keep studying God's Word.  I was encouraged to keep writing in this blog.

Just like Solomon wrote the Words to Proverbs for us to learn, to grow and be encouraged, God encourages us to come and worship him in service.  And along the way we are encouraged by others.

What a blessing God gives by bringing others into our lives.

Jan 27 Matthew - Let your light shine that others may see and glorify God

Matthew 5:16 

 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Every Olympic games there is a tradition where runners run carrying the lighted torch and passing it on to the next person.  Even though the news will write a story about the person carrying the torch the news is really about the torch.  That's the same with Christians.  We are to carry the Light and let it shine so others can see Jesus in us.  When others see Jesus in us it helps draw them to worship God.

Show your Light to others.

Jan 17 Revelation - He washed us from our sins

Revelation 1:5 

 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

This week teens we are reading the book of Revelation.  Are you up to reading the 22 chapters?  That's about 3 chapters a day.

Let Revelations reveal an overwhelming response to kneel in worship before the mighty God whose plan is good and just.

Jan 14 Numbers 11 - 14 Be careful who you run around with

Who was the mixt multitude?  These were some of the Egyptians who left with the Israelites.  They were not used to these different circumstances that they were experiencing and wanted to go back to Egypt.


We should be careful who we run around with.  Are they an encouragement in the Lord or do not talk about God at all.  A friend is a friend who we can freely share our thoughts with and worship God in our conversations.  If you have any trouble talking about God with your friend then you should question your friendship.  It's good to be an encouragement to them, if you are encouraging them.


Numbers 11:4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Jan 13 Numbers 8-10 Shine your light forward

Have you ever wondered why a lamp has a shade?  Isn't suppose to illuminate? :-) 

In the book of Numbers God tells Moses to take the 7 lamps and shine them on the candlesticks, basically shine them forward.  That is what we are suppose to do with Jesus as He is the Light of the world.  We are to shine Him forward unto others.  Think of someone today who you could light up by shining your Light forward.

Numbers 8:1-2

 ²Speak unto Aaron and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.
 ³And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Jan 12 Numbers 5-7 May God smile on you today

Numbers 6:25 

 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord is capable of smiling on you.  Return His smile today with a song of praise.

Jan 11 Numbers 1-4 Gifted for a task

This week we are reading the book of Numbers.  Can you read 36 chapters this week?

Numbers 4:49 

 ⁴⁹According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

God chose people to do certain tasks as the Israelites traveled through the wilderness.  This helped bring order to the movement of the camp of about a million people.

We are gifted to do a task within our church body.  Are you using your talent for the Lord?  Are we wandering in Klamath Falls because we are not helping with our talent?  Ask God today to help you to use your gift today.

Jan 9th Luke 9 Jesus talks with Moses and Elijah

Luke 9:28-35

I wonder why Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on that mountain?  It's almost like they received some sort of heavenly post.  Was their earthly actions a result of this opportunity to visit earth again?  What advice did they give Jesus?  Did they have some insight to provide to the Son of God?  They must have been beneficial or their appearance wouldn't have been recorded in the Bible.

Jan 7th Luke 8 Throwing out the seeds of witnessing

Luke 8:5-15 A sower went out to sow his seed:

As you read this passage you'll notice that not all seeds made it to grow.  What would have happened if the farmer had said that I am only going to throw at these few seeds and expect that ALL of them to grow?  He might not have a very big crop.  But the farmer throws out many seeds trying to get as much as he can but realizing that in reality not ALL seeds are going to grow.

We should be like the farmer, witnessing to as many people as possible.  Throwing out as many seeds as we can.  As Paul said, It's God that will give the increase, but we need to plant and water.

Jan 6th The Floating House

Floating House Link

Take a look at this link above.  Can you imaging your house floating away like this?  It's amazing!  Another amazing thing is when we hear the Word of God but we don't obey it, we're just like this house floating down the river.  As you read Luke this week keep in mind that this is just not reading material, it's the Word of God trying to speak to you.  

Luke 6:46-49

 ⁴⁶And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
 ⁴⁷Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
 ⁴⁸He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
 ⁴⁹But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Jan 5th Luke 4:14-5 More information on the disciples

^{Luke 5:7-10}

⁷And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

 ⁸When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

 ⁹For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

 ¹⁰And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

As Paul Harvey would say, "And now the rest of the story".  In Matthew it looked like Jesus came and immediately Peter followed him.  But as read here there was more to the story.  Peter witnessed another miracle.  I'm sure that his brother told him what he saw when he was with John, but it took more to finally convince  Peter and crew to follow Jesus.

Yes, it took Jesus to ask them.  We need to remember to listen to the call of God instead of making our own decisions.

Jan 4th - Prepare the Way Luke 3

Luke 3:4-6

 ⁴As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ⁵Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; ⁶And all flesh shall see the salvation of God

John's job was to prepare the way for the Lord.  God didn't tell John that he needed to get 100 people baptized.  He said just make ready for Jesus to come.  John was to help make all the paths straight.  He was to fill in the valleys, bring down the mountains, straighten the crooked paths and make the rough ways smooth.

Are you preparing the way?  What has God asked you to help with in 2011 to prepare for the coming of the Lord?  Even if you are praying for someone you are preparing the way.  Pray today to ask God to show you how He wants you to help to prepare the way.

Jan 3rd Luke is the book of the week

Luke 2:19

 ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:51

 ⁵¹And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

What an awesome thought, Mary the mother of Jesus.  She was on the front lines and witnessed many miracles.  Just think if you had Jesus as your brother back then.  What would you have seen?

Mary kept these events in her heart and thought about them.  This is a good example that we should follow.  Remember the good things that you have seen and keep them in your heart.

Did you have a good church service?  Did you find something neat that you read in the Bible?  Did you receive a blessing this week?  Keep those things in your heart.

Teens:  The book of the week is Luke, how many chapters will you read this week?  What will you keep in your heart?

Have a great first week back in school!

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year Teens!

What does God have in store for you in 2011?