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The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,.
Titus 2:3- 4 KJV
Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,
that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
Titus 2:3- 4 - NASB
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,
Titus 2:3- 4 - NIV
After helping my three-year-old son, Isaac, dry off after a bath, I wrapped him in a towel
and put him on my lap for a hug. I said, "Isaac, you're getting so big! What are we
going to do when you're too big to fit on my lap anymore?" He replied, "Then I'm
going to hold you, Mom."
Debra Power, California. Today's Christian Woman, "Small Talk."
February 14
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we
will not fear..." Psalm 46:1,2a.
That word is is, present tense, a right-now conviction that there is helpand hope.
The verse doesn't delineate the trouble; it only tells us that help and hope are there
when they are so acutely needed. Hopewhich should be a Christian frame of
mindis one of God's greatest blessings to man. It is Christian hope that helps us
to bear the bur-dens of life. "...Jesus Christ, who is our hope..." (1 Timothy
1:1), a this moment possible confidence that all is not lost the instant we think it is.
"In the presence of trouble, some people grow wings; others buy crutches."
Anonymous. A legend is told of the time when God placed wings on the backs of the feeble
birds and they protested loudly to Him, "Must we be burdened with this weight?"
The Lord smiled and asked them to wait a week. The next day a strange thing happened. A
force of some kind lifted them heaven-ward and the birds found themselves flying and
floating, and enjoying a sensation they had never felt before. When the week passed they
reappeared before the Lord and humbly acknowledged the wisdom of their Father.
"These very wings which we ridiculed as unnecessary burdens we now cherish. They
enable us to soar into the loftiest heights!"
We may be at the end of our rope, and that is exactly when God reaches down and pulls
that very ropeand usup to Him. It is said that when Luther and his friends
became discouraged, Luther would cheerily say, "Come, let us sing the forty-sixth
Psalm." Luther had a special affinity for this particular Psalm and for good reason.
When he said, "Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise," he knew that his resources
were immediate and unfailing; he need fear no man on earth. "A mighty fortress is
our God!" So let us grow wings to soar beyond and above earth's sorrows and diseases
of psyche and physique.
Pat Nordman ©
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Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions |
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Spurgeon's Morning for February 14 |
Spurgeon's Evening February 14 |
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"And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life." - 2 Kings 25:30 |
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Herein he well pictures the happy position of all the Lord's people. A daily portion is all that a man really wants. We do not need tomorrow's supplies; that day has not yet dawned, and its wants are as yet unborn. |
"She was healed immediately." - Luke 8:47 |
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If we have faith as a grain of mustard seed, salvation is our present and eternal possession. If in the list of the Lord's children we are written as the feeblest of the family, yet, being heirs through faith, no power, human or devilish, can eject us from salvation. |
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"First Love" by Tim
Knappenberger The other night my sons and I were talking about a movie theyd gone to see.
Having had one of those brain spasm moments wherein you cant come up with a word
thats on the tip of your tongue, I tried to ask which theater they went to. Being
unable to think of the word "theater", I foolishly blurted out: "What
movie house did you guys go to?" Howls and screeches of "Movie
house!! Dad said movie house!!" followed for a good 10 minutes. Hows that
for "hip?" I can take the stodginess and being hip-impaired (maybe Im in need of a total hip
replacement?). Its the cooling of my passions thats got me most bugged.
Im aware that one can live a passionate life all the way to an elderly grave (and
probably beyond for that matter). However, knowing this and doing this are far different
things. To make matters worse, my dimming passions are currently living alongside my
oldest sons blazing ones, fanned to flame by his first true love. When he and Lora
cant be with one another, they find they must be in auditory contact over the phone
for hours at a time simply to sustain life itself! The rest of us have to watch our step
around home for fear of being swept under by the flood of hormones gushing out from
underneath the door to Erics room. This from a kid, mind you, who not more than a
year ago only got passionate over grand slams and slam dunks. So, Where Oh Where did my passions go? Oh where, Oh where can they be? No doubt
the same place others, have wound up. Passions take a real beating under the
relentless press of paying bills, going to work everyday, coping with irritating people,
compromising your dreams, raising kids, mowing the lawn, being responsible, paying your
taxes, re-grouping after a divorce, living with chronic physical pain, and a host of other
"passion pounders." From what Ive observed, ironically, Its often
the most responsible among us that lose their passion the soonest. Working hard and always
doing whats expected by others often crowds out the zest and "juice" of
life; resulting in a feeling of being squeezed and wrung out. Nevertheless, God apparently wants us to perpetuate our passions. Passion may in fact
be more important to Him than protocol. This is why the verse in Christs Revelation
to John caught my eye. Notice what the church at Ephesus was doing: Working hard,
persevering, not tolerating evil, testing false apostles, and enduring hardship. I would
dare say that the Ephesians would be a tough act for many modern day churches to follow.
Yet despite their dogged determination, Jesus holds their loss of passion ("forsaking
their first love") against them. Early in their history, they evidently were
intense for the Lord. He asks them to remember the heights of former passion, love, and
devotion to Him. He even warns that failing to return to their first love, jeopardizes
their standing with Him before the Throne. This desire of Jesus for a passionate
relationship with His Bride is only further underscored a few verses later (Rev. 3:15-16)
when He professes to the church at Laodicea how He wishes that they were either hot or
cold, anything but lukewarm! This is not to say Jesus ignores unadorned, gut-it-out
faithfulness. Quite the contrary. However, it does seems to clearly indicate His desire
that the "juice" of our love for Him never dry up. That it be vibrant, sweet,
exciting and alive! What then are the passionateless to do? I was hoping you might tell me. Suffice to say,
however, suggestions probably include changing ones perspective, getting
reacquainted with former loves, and unburdening oneself from unnecessary loads accumulated
along the way. It also means, asking Christs Holy Spirit to have sway and reign in
our hearts and minds. As with other emotional states, passion for God is one Jesus never
expected us to manufacture alone. What does Jesus know about passion? Have you ever
wondered just how intensely passionate He felt hanging on a cross screaming out "Father
forgive them
"? We focus so much on His suffering and agony at Calvary, we
lose sight of what I believe were equal amounts of passion and love felt on that same
cruel cross. Next time your passion begins to cool, remember the passion that took God
from heaven to a stable to a cross and then to a tomb. Hes pretty
"head-over-heals" for you, wouldnt you say?! How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be
called children of God! 1 John 3:1 (Revelation 2:2-5) Other Weekendspirations can be found : HERE Religion
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February 14 Psalms
18:1 - 22:31
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Today's Devotion
I dont know
about you, but in my youth, I swore Id never grow old and stodgy. I vowed Id
never lose my passion for life. For the sake of my future children, Id be the
hippest dad anyone could ask for (It still was OK to use that word in the
70s.). Like I said, all of these vows were made in my youth. Then I
grew older and stodgier. My passions for life began cooling under the chilling layers of
responsibilities that surreptitiously piled upon them. And what about being
"hip?" Maybe this vignette best answers the question:
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot
tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and
have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and
have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
Passions take a
real beating under the relentless press of paying bills, going to work everyday, coping
with irritating people, compromising your dreams, raising kids, mowing the lawn, being
responsible, paying your taxes, re-grouping after a divorce, living with chronic physical
pain, and a host of other "passion pounders."
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KnappenbergerToday's Religion News
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jokes are listed when known. Birthday's and Happenings for the date, and quotations are
public knowledge and collected from numerous sources. Quotations are public knowledge and
sources are listed when known. Weekendspirations are written by Tim
Knappenberger who has
copyright privileges. Cathy Vinson authors Whispers from the Wilderness and owns copyright
privileges. Weekendspirations and Whispers from the Wilderness are used with permission by
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