Just a suggestion… This would make A WONDERFUL “LIFE VERSE” for someone… “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death!” (Philippians 1:20)
Want to know what is a big challenge for our children (and grandchildren) today? …
Remaining morally pure in a corrupt culture! And, believe me, it’s not just a “youth” issue … it’s a challenge we all face. Things once thought unthinkable by “religious folk” are now approved in the name of tolerance. Media flaunts relaxed morals and things the Bible calls “perversions.” The ancient directives regarding sexual morality in Proverbs, and the teaching of Jesus, and the epistles are explained away as the relics of unenlightened, bigoted era. The burning question for committed Christians is, how can I remain “pure in heart” and “blameless in behavior” in a permissive culture?
Well, there are several Biblical answers to that question that I could address. I encountered an important one in my Bible reading this morning that we dare not forget…
“How can a young man (or woman) keep their way pure? By guarding it according to Your word! With my whole heart I seek You! Let me no wander from Your commandments! I have stored up (some versions say ‘treasured up’) Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You… In the way of Your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches! I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” (from Psalm 119:9-16 ESV)
Listen, anything that parents (and grandparents) can do to encourage Bible reading, Bible memorization, and/or Bible study by the youth in their family is a good idea! It’s as important as their kids taking their vitamins, eating healthy, getting the exercise they need, or getting an education! And for brand new, born again followers of Jesus (AND those of us who have been following the Lord for awhile)… we desperately need to follow the Psalmist advice as well! Time spent internalizing God’s word is a healthy hedge against evil! In fact, if I begin to neglect my time of “coffee with the Lord” I can begin to tell it. I’m really glad for the time I spent with God’s word today!
Bad situations can have good results for Christ followers!
That’s the message the Apostle Paul conveyed to his dear friends, the Christians in ancient Philippi, regarding his imprisonment in Rome! In fact, as unpleasant (and unfair) as the experience was for Paul, God actually used it to get the gospel into Caesar’s household! In fact, Paul began to view being in prison as “my imprisonment is for Christ.” He went on to say, “I am put here for the defense of the gospel” (using terminology soldiers used to describe being “stationed”, “on duty”, or “under orders”). The point? Paul realized that, as unpleasant as his imprisonment was, God was using it for His glory and the spread of the gospel! (Philippians 1:12-18)
Several years ago, a dear friend of mine made a terrible mistake and was led into an unwise (and illegal) business deal. He realized it after he had been entrapped, tried desperately to get out of the deal and attempted to make it right. However, a “pit bull prosecutor” pressed a lawsuit and my friend ended up in prison, much to his dismay and shame. He realized something however – God could use the situation for His glory! He determined to be a witness within the prison and was mightily used by God to lead many fellow prisoners to Christ and minister hope to their families. When I heard the stories of how God turned a terrible situation into good and the glory of God, my eyes flowed with tears and my heart was filled with praise!
Hey, God can use unpleasant, unpleasant, even unfair situations for His glory, the extension of the Kingdom of heaven, and the spread of the gospel! God needs people who actually believe this!
Coffee With The Lord 