At breakfast this morning, I was able to feed Elijah his breakfast and eat mine while Maggie as able to accomplish some things. I had not read my Bible for the day so as I fed Elijah and myself, I grabed my Bible and began to read. I read aloud Proverbs 29 and Psalm 52 to him as well as myself. I do not know if he really understood what I was saying but I want him to see that the privite, personal study of God's Word is important to dad. It was a wonderful time to read God's Word with my little boy! It was one of those precious times where it was just me and him and God's Word. When I would stop reading to give him a bite or take one myself he would begin talking again. He was realitively quiet during the reading though. I am super excited to see what God has for Elijah and am praying that he will one day understand that he is a sinner and needs Jesus as his personal Savior. I love being a dad!
Praise the Lord!! God has allowed me to be able to memorize Philippians 1 and now 2! I am really, really enjoying going over and over Philippians like this! It has helped me think biblically as I am at home, work, church, or with friends. God's Word is powerful and is the best weapon to combat Satan's temptations to sin. There are a few thoughts I have on chapter 2. First is that I need to have the mind of Christ. Chapter 2 begins, "If there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Then it goes on to show how Christ Jesus exemplified this mind that Paul is asking us to have. This mind is totally focused on others. Not only to love others but to help know God. I need to have this focus, mindset. Also, in verses 14-15, "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crocked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." I need to do all things, everything without complaining, grumbling and disputing, arguing. The reason for this is that I am a light to the world around me and need to not let my light be dim or hidden by my complaining, grumbling, disputing, or arguing. I need to be a bright light so that others may see God and glorify Him! Verse 21 really stuck out to me; "For all seek their own, and not the things which are of Christ Jesus." Paul is saying that Timothy is seeking the things which are of Christ Jesus. Others were seeking their own wants and desires. I need to be seeking the things of Christ Jesus not pursuing my own. I have been helped so much by memorizing Philippians and I am only half way through! Praise the Lord! What are you memorizing?
Tonight at church, my wife and I help lead the childrens group. They are doing a curiculum called "Kids 4 Truth". It really focuses on helping the children to know the truth of God's word through questions/answers and then by memorizing God's Word! It is a lot of fun to help these children with their knowledge of the truth of God's Word! Last Wednesday night I challenged them to make sure to bring their Bibles and books (Kids 4 Truth books) when the come on Wednesdays so that we can hide God's word in our hearts. I also told them that I was going to be working on Philippians, to memorize it. Tonight I gave the about 20 minutes to work on saying verses to the leaders. They all did very well! I then asked if they remembered what I said I was going to do last week. None of them remembered, unfortunately. I then reminded them and they said, "Oh yeah!" I then preceded to have all of them turn to Philippians 1 and follow along as I quoted that chapter. I was able to do it with only two mistakes! I was kind of disappointed in how I did. They were all surprised. They asked me to share with them the whole book of Philippians when I have it memorized by October 11 and I said I would. Then I shared with them Psalm 119:9-11. I talked them about the fact that we can cleanse our way by taking heed to God's Word. Then we talked about how when we hide God's Word in our heart it helps us to not sin against God. We can use the verses that we memorize to combat Satan's temptations. I used the illustration of our minds being like a steak and God's Word being a marinade; we need to let our minds marinade on God's Word so that we might soak it up! Then we will have the Word of God dwelling in us richly! This was a lot of fun to talk to them about this! I pray that they will not simply memorize to pass a section but to really hide God's Word in their hearts. How are you hiding God's Word in your heart? Let me know.
After lunch today, we took Elijah to a little park near by where we live. It was a great time to see him experiment with rocks, sticks, leaves, and pin cones! He really enjoys being outside! He likes to watch everything, whether trees, leaves, little animals, or trying to figure out the wind. Here are some pictures of him trying new things!
"Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me." Philippians 1:1-30. Praise the Lord I now have the first chapter of Philippians memorized! Actually I am a have almost half of chapter two memorized as well! This has helped me so much! No matter what I do my mind is full of God's word! It brings new meaning to Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." My mind is being saturated with Philippians! This has been a huge help to me in keeping my thoughts on the positive things, things of God!
I have been working on memorizing Philippians for a while now. I have decided that I will set a goal for myself. October 11, 2009 I will have memorized the book of Philippians. This is one of my favorite books in the Bible and it will be very helpful for me to hide God's word in my heart. Please pray that I will be able to meet this goal with God's help. I am working on having Philippians 1 done by Sunday (September 20). I have the first eleven verse down now and am praying for God to help me to be commited to the rest!
Today I have a lot to be praising God for. This morning I was able to help a man in our church paint a side of his house. I really enjoyed getting to talk to him about his past. I was excited to hear how he came to know Jesus as his personal Savior! Praise the Lord! We talked about a lot of the church's history that I was unfamiliar with. That was really neat! Along with all the talking, I was able to help him paint the side of his house! Praise! Also today I went to work and was supposed to work 12pm to 6pm. Well a little after 4pm my boss came to me and said, "See you tomorrow Dan." He allowed me to go home! He told me to go home and take my wife out for supper! WOW! Praise the Lord! We do not get that opportunity very often! This is totally a God thing! I asked Maggie where she wanted to eat and that is what we did! Praise! Tonight at church I was able to lead the children in Kid 4 Truth. We had our time all outside! It was great! We had a wonderful time of prayer! We played some wiffle ball! Then we talked about thirsting for God from Psalm 42:1-2! It was a neat time to spend with this children and to pray, play, and study God's Word! Praise! What are you praising God for today?
At work sometimes I can get frustrated and wonder why God has me there. Almost every time these thoughts come into my mind, God brings to my thoughts the song by Ron Hamilton "Rejoice in the Lord". Really it is simply the first verse and chorus. " God never moves without purpose or plan when trying His servant and molding a man. Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long; in darkness He giveth a song. O Rejoice in the Lord He makes no mistake, He knoweth the end of each path that I take, for when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold." God wants me to realize that what is going on in my life is not random or by chance but He has a perfect plan for me. God wants me to see that He is molding me into what He wants me to be. God does not make any mistakes. He is the one who knows the end of the test or trial I may be in. God wants me to understand that when this is all over that He wants me to be more like His Son. I simply need to trust in God. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). This is the prayer that I am praying today; that God would help to rejoice in Him always and keep rejoicing!
This morning I read Psalm 42 as a part of my quiet time with God. I was really challenged to have a thirst for God. I enjoy running, actually I have ran about 120 miles this summer so far. I enjoy a good run that challenges me to push myself further than I would want to and I also know that it is beneficial to my whole body if I exercise. The other day I went for a run and decided that I was going to run for four miles, by the time I got home I was so incredibly thirsty for water that I could hardly bare it! What Psalm 42 says in verses one and two is basically the same thing. The author begins by taking deer and explaining that they long for the water brooks. After the deer has run, exerted energy it is longing for a drink of water. When I finish my runs I am earnestly longing for water! My soul, my life needs to long for God in such a greater way than that! My soul, my life needs to thirst for God! When I wake up in the morning I need to so thirsty for God I can hardly do anything else. As I go through my day I should be so desiring the water of God's Word in my life. Water sustains us physically so that we may live. The water that God has to give us sustains our spiritual lives. I can not live for God without the water that He gives through His Word! I must earnestly seek to spend time in God's Word so that I may have the living water that only He can provide so that I may live a life full for God and what He has for me! I need to thirst for God!
"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 (NASB)
I am married to the girl of my dreams and we have a amazing little boy. I am doing an unofficial internship with a pastor to better prepare me for future pastoral ministry. My wife and I have a passion to serve God and are involved in whatever we can at our local church! I love God and want to serve Him with my life!
