livingInTheActiveWord
Devotional for November 26, 2007 PRINT VERSION
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Know That You Know
"Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" --Matthew 7:22–23 (NKJV)
This is one of the most sobering Scriptures that you will ever read. Jesus is addressing the fact that in the end, there will be multitudes of men and women expecting Him to welcome them into the kingdom, only to discover they are aren't going to get in. The reason is clearly communicated as Christ declares, "I never knew you." Imagine their horrific shock. These are religious people; they talked a lot about God and even did some impressive things under the guise of His name, but they didn't personally know Him, and only those who know Jesus will be joining Him in His heavenly kingdom.
Knowing Jesus is one of the necessary qualifications for being part of His Church. As much as it breaks my heart to say this, there are many people today who are in the church who aren't of it because they don't personally know Jesus. No amount of religious routine or sacrificial service can make someone a member of Christ's body. In fact, a person can even pastor a church that he isn't truly a part of because he doesn't know Christ.
So how can we know that we know Him? For one thing, knowing God means that from time to time you cry with Him. In times of crisis, we turn to those that we know best, and those who turn to Jesus in times of hardship and heartache truly know Him. Another indication is that you sing to Him. Praise is so precious because it connects us to Christ on a level that's uniquely intimate. Finally, knowing God means that we talk to Him on a regular basis. Something is off when a profession for Christ isn't followed by a prayer life. Each of these indicates whether someone is merely in church . . . or truly of it.
DIG - What is the main objective in the Christian life? (Hint: read Philippians 3:10.)
DISCOVER - How well do you know Jesus? Back up your answer with examples.
DISPLAY - How can you know Him better?
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The Mind's Retreat In this place, I have put up a collection of interesting poems or passages as and when I chance upon them. I find it relaxing to read some of these witty, reflective or inspiring passages. That's why I called them The Mind's Retreat. It is a good relief for hectic city living. If you have some to contribute, please send them to me. |
This link is jamb packed with inspirational material!!
The Red-capped Manakin (Pipra mentalis) is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The bird is probably best known for the male's unusual courting method whereby it shuffles rapidly backwards across a branch, akin to a speedy Moonwalk.
More of God's amazing creation!
The Horsehead Nebula B33 Description: Located just off Alnitak, in the belt of Orion, this dark nebula has the appearance of a horsehead. Captured at Urban Observatory using a TMB130SS APO refractor and an SBIG ST-10XEI CCD imager. About an hour of luminance frames were combined with half an hour each of red, green, and blue data.
Date Taken: 11/3/2007 Views: 62
State: ohio Country: United States
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Can we put some sanity back into traditions we grew up with and stop all this paranoia?!
City May Ban Red and Green Christmas Lights
Proposed policy allows only white lights and 'secular' symbols.
The city's Holiday Display Task Force soon will make recommendations to the City Council on a policy that allows only white lights and "secular" symbols such as icicles, snowflakes and unadorned greenery.
Mayor Doug Hutchinson said he liked the group's suggestion for a display that would include a "balance of religious and secular items.”
Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for the Liberty Legal Institute, isn't buying it.
“To engage in this war on Christmas is ridiculous," he told Family News in Focus, "and I think it goes against what 90 percent of Americans believe in.”
Jordan Lorence of the Alliance Defense Fund said Americans are fed up.
"We cannot allow what we do as a society to be determined or dictated by a few atheists with eggshell sensibilities," he said.
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Psalm 107 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
[NKJV at Thomas Nelson] [Thomas Nelson, Inc.]
Psalm 107
Thanksgiving to the LORD for His Great Works of Deliverance
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3 And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
This is amazing even though it is an artist's rendition of what we can see through the Hubble space telescope!
A growing black hole, called a quasar, can be seen at the center of a faraway galaxy in this artist's concept. Using NASA's Spitzer and Chandra Space Telescopes, astronomers discovered swarms of similar quasars hiding in dusty galaxies in the distant universe.
The new-found quasars belong to a long-lost population that had been theorized to be buried inside dusty, distant galaxies, but were never actually seen. While some quasars are easy to detect because they are oriented in such a way that their X-rays point toward Earth, others are oriented with their surrounding doughnut-clouds blocking the X-rays from our point of view. In addition, dust and gas in the galaxy itself can block the X-rays.
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On the grave of Ezekial Aikle in East Dalhousie Cemetery, Nova Scotia:
Here lies Ezekial Aikle Age 102 The Good Die Young.
In a London, England cemetery:
Ann Mann Here lies Ann Mann, Who lived an old maid But died an old Mann. Dec. 8, 1767
In a Ribbesford, England, cemetery:
Anna Wallace The children of Israel wanted bread And the Lord sent them manna, Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife, And the Devil sent him Anna.
Playing with names in a Ruidoso, New Mexico, cemetery:
Here lies Johnny Yeast Pardon me For not rising.
In a Silver City, Nevada, cemetery:
Here lays Butch, We planted him raw. He was quick on the trigger, But slow on the draw.
A widow wrote this epitaph in a Vermont cemetery:
Sacred to the memory of my husband John Barnes who died January 3, 1803 His comely young widow, aged 23, has many qualifications of a good wife, and yearns to be comforted. (ed: guess they did not have personal ads then)
A lawyer's epitaph in England:
Sir John Strange Here lies an honest lawyer, And that is Strange.
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God is faithful even when some things are beyond our comprehension.
Choose God’s Love So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16 One of the definitive messages of the Bible is that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). I’ve been a pastor long enough to know that when I say that, some people pull back and look at me sideways, “Really? God is love? Well, if that’s true, then how could He have allowed . . .” - and out comes a painful story. Continue Reading |
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There is no greater love than this, that one should lay down their life for another!
Doing Well
In the book Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley recounts the World War II battle of Iwo Jima and its famous flag-raising on Mount Suribachi. Bradley’s father, John, was one of the flag-raisers. But more important, he was a Navy corpsman—a medic.
In the heat of battle, facing a barrage of bullets from both sides, Bradley exposed himself to danger so he could care for the wounded and dying. This self-sacrifice showed his willingness and determination to care for others, even though it meant placing himself at great personal risk.
Let the road be rough and dreary, And its end far out of sight; Foot it bravely, strong or weary; Trust in God and do the right. —Macleod
Love is at the heart of obedience.
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Thanks to Ahmed86. For the experts. All the technical data is give on the site. Enjoy.
المصور :
المصور :
المصور :Adam Burton
المصور :
Patrick Di Fruscia
Adam Burton
Ian Cameron
Jay Patel
Kenneth Kwan
Marc Adamus
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