February 9th, 2010 by Pastor Ben
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Almost Done
Scripture Reading:
Phil 2:3-4 (HCSB) Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning
Devotion & Meditation:
Being late and holding people up are common occurrences. It can be very frustrating for the one left waiting. Especially when in most cases, I am the one left waiting. I have the mentality of hurry up and wait. It is always much better to be there early and on time than to have to wait or worst yet, cause another to be late…yuk! Here, try this slant on it…”God has given each one of us a certain number of days, hours, and minutes of life. If you waste my time, you are stealing from my life.” A sobering thought: Do we have the right to take this from another person? Now perhaps you’ll better understand the need to be on time!
We all realize that there are times when a wait is inevitable, and we can prepare for it and even welcome the rest. Many times, we worry when an expected event is held up or delayed. Parents of teens know all too well what that is like. I could say husbands, but I can’t run very fast right now. Scratch that I can run at all right now, so I’ll play it safe and stick with parents…
But when we deliberately choose to do “just one more thing” which will make us late for someone who is waiting, we are selfishly judging our schedule and our time to have a higher value and priority than the other person’s. Today’s Scripture admonishes us, “in humility consider others better than yourselves”.
Keep the Son in your eyes,
Dr. Ben J. Lahay
Phil 1:21
February 7th, 2010 by Pastor Ben
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Who Calls the Play
Scripture Reading:
James 1:17 (HCSB) Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning
Devotion & Meditation:
Never make the mistake of thinking you are responsible for all that you have. The triumphs of life are gifts, not merit badges. Sometimes people get what they deserve for their hard work and effort, but just as often they do not. James says that every good thing in life is from the Father above who is the source of life itself. The following story illustrates how we become confused about how we got what we have. A newspaper reporter went to interview a successful entrepreneur. “How did you do it?” he asked. “How did you make all this money?” The entrepreneur was glad to tell his story. “You see, when my wife and I married, we started out with a roof over our heads, some food in our pantry, and five cents between us. I took that nickel, went down to the grocery store, bought an apple, then shined it up and sold it for ten cents. Then I bought more apples, shined them up and sold them for twenty cents apiece.” The reporter was beginning to catch on, and thought this would be a great human interest story. “Then what happened?” he asked excitedly. “Then my father-in-law died and left us $20 million,” the rich man said. He had fooled himself into thinking he had done something, forgetting that he had received something. Don’t forget all you have been given, and remember to thank the Giver for each and every good thing He bestows.
I am thankful for the warmth, electric and the family I have. Even though my physical mobility is a bit limited, I am thankful for the health the Lord sustains me with and will attack the days ahead with a new vigor and intensity. Nothing like being on the bench for a few plays to see what you are missing! Than you Jesus for helping me regain a focus and most importantly, thank you Jesus for doing…doing everything! It is not me nor has it ever been me! Thank you
Keep the Son in your eyes,
Dr. Ben J. Lahay
Phil 1:21
February 7th, 2010 by Pastor Ben
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Matthew 6:1-2,5,16 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! “Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! » Read more: Lucifer’s Oscar
February 6th, 2010 by Pastor Ben
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Due to the waether conditions and the snow removal situation, we will not be having worship tomorrow. I will be sending out an e-mail devotion study to do with the family in place of Sunday Worship. Be sure to check yo0ur e-mail and this website for a copy of the lesson!
February 5th, 2010 by Pastor Ben
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Don’t Worry
Scripture Reading:
Philippians 4:6 (HCSB) Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Devotion & Meditation:
When you have a problem, do you worry about it until you’re at my wit’s end. Then when all else fails, I am sure you pray. Now,let me ask you, why did you waste all this time and energy? It is so plainly written out in all of today’s Scriptures, which you’ve read many times, but when trouble comes, you find yourself following the same old pattern. Instead of taking your problem to God first, you attempt to solve it yourself. Even after years of answered prayer, there’s still a tendency to drag your feet.
Hezekiah gives us a good example to follow. In 2 Kings chapter 19, he received a letter from a messenger of the King of Assyria, challenging him to surrender Jerusalem or be destroyed. When Hezekiah read it, he went to the house of the Lord and prayed, asking the Lord to save Jerusalem. Through the prophet Isaiah, God had already promised deliverance. Hezekiah followed instructions. His prayer was answered. Instead of worrying, Hezekiah saved his energy by turning to God first.
Like Hezekiah, we, too, can turn to God first and ask, rather than wasting all our time and energy in worrying about the situation.
Keep the Son in your eyes,
Dr. Ben J. Lahay
Phil 1:21
