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40/50/90/3000 Devotional: Day 30- March 24th, 2010

Day 30 – March 24, 2010

Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews ll:1)
As a young child of seven, living in the small community of Woodlawn, VA, I usually spent part of each
Sunday morning service asleep on my mother’s ample lap. But one Sunday was a little different. The
pianist for the little Forest Oak Christian Church was absent, and the minister asked if anyone from the
congregation could play the piano. My parents knew that I could play a few hymns from memory, so here
I go, walking hesitantly up the aisle. With one little hand, I began. One note, two notes, What a Friend
We Have in Jesus. I’m sure the beginning notes were very soft, but as I muddled through and the voices
began to join in, my confidence built. By the time I reached the end of the first line and began to play it
again (I only knew 2 lines of the first verse), everyone joined in. It was great. You know, Jesus was my
friend that day because I know I didn’t make the music – I just touched the notes, and the Holy Spirit
filled the church with a glorious sound.
I’m much older now and can even play the piano with both hands. But when I play or sing, it isn’t I who
is making the music. It’s my friend, Jesus. So I may be singing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing or the
entire Mass in G by Schubert. His Holy Spirit is still the one guiding my voice or moving my hands. And
I like to think that my little attempt at the one-handed What a Friend We Have in Jesus sounds just as
sweet to God’s ear.
No matter my burdens or my cares, I have the blessed assurance that Jesus is mine. And as the song goes,
“praising my Savior all the day long, this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day
long.” You have the assurance that He is yours as well. All you have to do is have faith – His love will be
there to meet you more than half-way. You see, He’s been waiting for you all along the way!

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your steadfast love, your blessed assurance, and your faithful
promise that as long as we put you first in our lives, we will be blessed and others will receive a blessing
through us. For it is in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, that we pray. Amen.

Submitted by: Carolyn Webb, Member of Holston Conference UMC

March 24, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Day 83-90 Days to read the New Testament (TNIV)

2 Timothy 3

¹ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

A Final Charge to Timothy

¹⁰ You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, ¹¹ persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that all God’s people ^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4

¹ In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Personal Remarks

⁹ Do your best to come to me quickly, ¹⁰ for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. ¹² I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

¹⁴ Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. ¹⁵ You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

¹⁶ At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. ¹⁷ But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹⁹ Greet Priscilla ^[b] and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰ Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. ²¹ Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.

²² The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

March 24, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

This Day In The Life of Your Pastor – March 23rd, 2010

March 24, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment