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2009 Elder's Devotionals
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SEPTEMBER '09
The Ant and the Contact Lens
Submitted by Karen Blanc
Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. “Great”, she thought.
“Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet from the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.”
She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn’t there.
She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.
When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range o mountains. She thought of the bible verse.
“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
She thought, “Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.”
Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, “Hey you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?”
Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!
The story doesn’t end there. Brenda’s father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, “Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it, and it’s awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for you.
I think it would do all of us some good to say, “God, I don’t know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it’s awfully heavy. But , if You want me to carry it, I will.”
God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Yes, I love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him….I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil, 4:13)
Submitted by Karen Blanc
October Elder's Devotional
submitted by JoAnn Morrison
From the Women's Devotional Bible
DANDELIONS
Dandelions! No matter how carefully I try to pull one up, I never get the whole thing. The root stays deep in the ground, threatening to grow up and blossom again.
But despite their bad reputation, dandelions are pretty little flowers with their yellow strands all tucked neatly into the center. And truly they are the most beautiful of all flowers when presented clutched in a child’s dirty little hand. No one gets yelled at for picking them. Perhaps they grow only to be used and enjoyed by children.
Dandelions are ignored or attacked, never nurtured or cared for, and yet they always bloom profusely. They demand no pampering or special attention to yield their bright blossoms; they pop up in fields, in lawns, and between cracks in the sidewalk, even in the best neighborhoods. Can you imagine trying to grow them in a garden? They’d sneak through the boundaries and pop their sunny yellow faces up in the surrounding lawn. They would never stay put!
Christians should be more like dandelions. Our sunny yellow faces should be a reminder that simple faith has deep roots that are impossible to dislodge. Our vast number would show the world that even through we are not fancy or pampered we are evident everywhere, even in the best neighborhoods.
We should be as easily accessible as a dandelion. Jesus was. We need to get out of our gardens and jump across the boundaries that keep us where people expect to find us. We need to show our sunny yellow faces in all the spots that need a little brightening up – the crack in the sidewalk or the lawn of a country club.
Scripture – Matthew 28:16-20
by JoAnn Morrison
NOVEMBER ELDER'S MONTHLY DEVOTIONAL
Submitted by Richard Blanc
BELIEVE
We believe that the bible is divinely inspired word of God. (2 Tim 3:16)
We believe that the God exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that these are one God. (Mt. 28:19) (Acts1:4-8)
We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ. We believe in His virgin birth, that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and therefore He is God manifested in the flesh. (Mt.1:18)
We believe that all men are by nature sinful and lost. Salvation of man is through the divine sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The shedding of His blood is the only sufficient payment for sin. That salvation is a free gift from God, by grace and through faith. (Eph. 2:8) (Jn 3: 16).
We believe that if you confess Jesus as your savior, believe in your heart that He is the true son of God, died for our sins, and was resurrected, that you are eternally saved . At this time you are born again. (Rom. 10:9)
We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and of the Spiritual gifts that follow.
We believe that after we are saved our duty is to serve the Lord, and with the power of the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus nothing is impossible for us.
We believe in Heaven and we believe in Hell.
We believe at the second coming of Christ we will be with him and our spirits will be joined with a new glorified body.
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is our healer, our strength, our redeemer, our salvation! And through His promises we can be Kings in this lifetime, nothing that this world can throw at us will be able to bring us down. “In this world you may have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)
BELIEVE!
Submitted by Richard Blanc
DECEMBER ELDER'S DEVOTIONAL
by Jimmy Ford
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
Although traditionally a Christian holiday, Christmas is widely celebrated by many non-Christians, and some of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights, and garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus is a popular mythological figure in many countries, associated with the bringing of gifts for children.
Winter in my favorite time of year, especially Christmastime, Oh to be young and free spirited, caroling in the neighborhood for nothing but the smiles on people’s faces and of course the occasionally offered hot chocolate. Going down memory lane is so overwhelming it brings Goosebumps and a happy/melancholy feeling of growing older. The sled riding (my brother lost a tooth and received stitches in his lip from a wreck and me going thru Mr. Wargacki’s barbwire fence in the pasture field), snow ball fights (the icy ones that really stung) ice skating (which I think I still have a bruise on my hip that never went away), snowman building (which always brought a smile to my mother when we used coal or buttons for the eyes and mouth, of course the traditional carrot nose) and of course the Christmas Eve service at church always gave me great encouragement as a young Christian boy and the feeling of security knowing the birth of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was real.
To use an old clique, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” As Christians the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is the highlight of Christmastime. My prayer this Christmas as with many Christmas’s in the past is for everyone to experience the wonderful security and peace that comes from accepting and knowing that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour. I wish I could just touch a person and have them feel what I feel as a Christian. Believing and trusting in God has not been an easy task but I cannot imagine going it alone, especially when we don’t have to. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, become involved in your church and community, things can only get better and the rewards are indescribable. God loves you and wants you to be happy, aren’t you worth it. Come to First Christian Church and become part of our loving, caring, sharing and friendly church family.
A Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Christmas Blessings,
Jimmy Ford
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.” Luke 19:10
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
“And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.” Matthew 2:8
JANUARY ELDER'S DEVOTIONAL
by Connie Norwood
Some of these thoughts are borrowed from "Minute Meditations for Women".
As I have observed my grandchildren over the years, one thing stands out very vividly--their ability to live and enjoy the moment. I have become interested in how they can take the "now" and make it a present. As I get older, I'm trying to forget about what happened yesterday and what might happen tomorrow and just experience the fullness of today.
We need to give less attention to worries, mistakes, what's going wrong, things to get done, the past, the future and the undone. "Today I will only think about today. No regrets for the past or future maybes." When you do this all your focus is on the now--you can smile, laugh, pray, think, and enjoy what the moment brings. At the beach, in the mountains, cleaning house, cooking a meal and playing in the sandbox with a grandchild--that's where we can find purpose and enjoyment. Often our anxieties are about things we have no control over. About 85% of the things we worry about never happen. So why spend all that negative energy on something that probably won't occur?
We should stop and smell the roses, hear the train whistle, see the puffy clouds in the sky and enjoy life as God has given it to us. When we begin to see and experience the minute, we will begin to see the grandeur of God and His vastness. As we focus on the present we will spend less time worrying about tomorrow. Become as a little child and enjoy now.
Connie Norwood
