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John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
I read a story about a new young
partner in a law firm. The senior partners had set extremely high standards and had coached him carefully. He did well in
some minor trials but he lost his first big case. When the partners reviewed the trial, they pointed out his errors and suggested
different strategies. Even with all their critique, he lost the next big one. He felt terrible. Were they ready to give him
the boot?
Then one of the partners took him aside. "Look," he said, "you're learning. Just keep going. You'll start
winning. Meanwhile, your position is secure. You're one of us." Those words were exactly what he needed to hear.
Have
you ever experienced this kind of compassion when you were feeling hopeless? If we’re believers, we have. The Lord has
taken us aside and said, "Yeah, you’ve made some mistakes, but don’t worry -- your position is secure."
People,
know that God has provided your security today. Rest assured in Him -- and be sure to convey that same kind of compassion
to struggling siblings in the faith. All of us need to be reassured once in a while.
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George,
Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Negev Desert, Israel
Week of March 5
The Chapel (REVISITED): Relying On God's Power
by Max Lucado
Previously from this
series: The Roof, The Kitchen, The Chapel, The Living Room, A Home for Your Heart
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Our Lord's prayer has given us a blueprint for the Great House of God. From the living room of our Father to the family
room with our friends, we are learning why David longed to "live in the house of the LORD forever" (Ps. 23:6). In God's house
we have everything we need: a solid foundation, an abundant table, sturdy walls, and an impenetrable roof of grace.
And now, having seen every room and explored each corner, we have one final stop. Not to a new room, but to one we have
visited earlier. We return to the chapel. We return to the room of worship. The chapel, remember, is where we stand before
God and confess, "Hallowed be thy name."
The chapel is the only room in the house of God we visit twice. It's not hard to see why. It does us twice as much good
to think about God as it does to think about anyone or anything else. God wants us to begin and end our prayers thinking of
him. Jesus is urging us to look at the peak more than we look at the trail. The more we focus up there, the more inspired
we are down here.
Some years ago a sociologist accompanied a group of mountain climbers on an expedition. Among other things, he observed
a distinct correlation between cloud cover and contentment. When there was no cloud cover and the peak was in view, the climbers
were energetic and cooperative. When the gray clouds eclipsed the view of the mountaintop, though, the climbers were sullen
and selfish.
The same thing happens to us. As long as our eyes are on his majesty there is a bounce in our step. But let our eyes focus
on the dirt beneath us and we will grumble about every rock and crevice we have to cross. For this reason Paul urged, "Don't
shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to the things going
on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective" (Col 3:1-2 MSG).
Paul challenges you to "be alert to the things going on around Christ." The Psalmist reminds you to do the same, only he
uses a different phrase. "O magnify the LORD with me and let us exalt his name together" (Ps. 34:3).
Magnify. What a wonderful verb to describe what we do in the chapel. When you magnify an object, you enlarge it so that
you can understand it. When we magnify God, we do the same. We enlarge our awareness of him so we can understand him more.
This is exactly what happens in the chapel of worship—we take our mind off ourselves and set it on God. The emphasis
is on him. "Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever."
 And this is exactly the purpose of this final phrase in the Lord's prayer. These words magnify the character of God. I love
the way this phrase is translated in The Message:
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes! Yes! Yes!
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March 10
Our Relationship With God
Psalm 119:33-40
By trusting Christ, a person enters into a lifelong relationship with the heavenly Father. As believers, we have a responsibility
to keep that connection healthy.
First, we must learn about our new family. An essential and on-going part of family life involves knowing and being known
by the other members. In the Bible, God gave a detailed description of His attributes, values, and thinking. And since Jesus
came to earth, we can better understand divine character, which was demonstrated in a human life. As we meditate on Scripture,
our sense of connectedness to our triune God will grow.
Second, we should stay in close contact with God through prayer and study of His Word—and resist the temptation to
put people, work, or pleasures ahead of Him. Remember: Relationships thrive with consistent interaction but wither if neglected.
Third, we are to respond to what He has communicated. He provided instructions for living and explained what pleases Him.
In healthy families, people pay attention to each other. We need to heed our Father's warnings and obey His commands.
Finally, we must grow in likeness to God. Relatives can resemble each other in subtle and obvious ways. As we cooperate
with the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, we will start to think and act like our Father.
God the Father provided salvation through His Son, who died so we could become spiritually alive. Jesus set an example
for us to follow: a life of loving, obedient service. God's Spirit is doing His sanctifying work in us (1 Peter 1:2). Are
we doing our part to keep the relationship healthy?
Life time Prayer and Financial Partners are required for this ministry
Present Ministry Goals:
Missions in local area requiring
spiritual needs
Evangelism worldwide
The ECM Proclamation is found on our Mission Statement page.
To make an offering you can
use Paypal
If you would
prefer to forward your donation, you can forward all correspondence to:
ECM (Elijah's Call Ministry)or
DWA
(Don't Walk Alone Outreach)
P.O. Box 815
Chetwynd, BC Canada
V0C 1J0
Call: 250 556 9534
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Thank you for your generous support and love offering... Now allow the Lord to bless you five-fold to His glory and to your
benefit.
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Easy and Ready to use, and remember
the LORD loves a cheerful giver. Go in Peace.
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More devotionals from RBC Ministries and our Daily Bread click link below
Our Daily Bread
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