Daily Inspiration for Men

[Queen Mother]

I wanted to offer some diversity in our daily devotions. So, in addition to the devotions by Dr. Stanley that are in another thread, I wanted to start a thread "Just for Men." This will give you a daily choice as you look for inspiration each morning to start your day. Feel free to add comments or your own inspirations - Just For Men.

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff49/lampost54/outdoors.jpg

[Queen Mother]

January 18, 2008

Stones Do Speak
by Fred Alberti

And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God."
Joshua 4:20-24

We recently enjoyed some rather unseasonably warm weather. Not one to let such an opportunity get away from me, I asked my wife and family to join me in a walk of the fields surrounding our house.

As we went along we began to observe and identify all the various animal tracks left in the soft ground. First, we came across our resident guinea hen's track, then we saw a dog track, next it was plenty of deer tracks and then a raccoon track.

Each track was a sign that something had been there. The track was a lingering witness to the presence of that animal on our property.

In the scripture focus today we see that God used the Israelites to help him leave a testimony to the power of the Lord.

They had just miraculously crossed the Jordan River on dry ground when God gave instructions to have a representative from each of the twelve tribes pick up a stone from around the priests' feet. These stones would be used to help the people remember what God had done for them. But that wasn't all they were for. They were to be a testimony to all the people of all the earth that the Lord is powerful and that He is to be given reverence.

We sometimes forget that. We forget that God is not just a good ol' buddy who we can pal around with and be flippant with. He is a God that is to be shown respect and reverence.

January is an excellent month to take account and to think of the events over the last year and how God has left prints in the sand of time to indicate His presence in your circumstances.

The Israelites were constantly using stones to be a testimony of a special event in their lives. Maybe that isn't such a bad idea.

Maybe it is time to start picking up some stones… no, not to toss at anyone but to remember what God has done for you.

[Queen Mother]

January 20, 2008

THE WILL OF GOD
by Neil Anderson

John 7:17
If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.

Knowing the will of God is not just a twentieth-century problem. People were struggling at the time of Christ. Some people were saying of Him, "He's a good man." Others were saying, "He leads the multitude astray" (see John 7:12). How could these people know whether He was leading them into truth?

Seizing the opportunity, Jesus set forth standards of divine guidance. His first admonition was, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself" (John 7:16, 17). The essential prerequisite to know the will of God, according to Jesus, is a willingness to do it.

What is the will of God? God's will for those who believe in Him is to be alive in Christ for the purpose of establishing His kingdom by overcoming the evil one and becoming fully the people He has called us to be. Notice the opening words of the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9, 10). When praying this prayer, we are asking for God's will to be accomplished on earth as it presently is in heaven. Apparently God's will is being perfectly executed in heaven but not on earth.

Are you totally committed to do God's will without knowing for sure what it is? Do you hold any reservations about turning your will over to God? Do you really believe that God's will for you is good, acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2)? If God is God and you call Him Lord, doesn't He have the right to exercise His will in your life?

[Queen Mother]

January 21, 2008

A HIGHER PRIORITY
by Neil Anderson

Romans 8:14
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God

Two significant events in my life brought into clear focus the priority of relationship over achievement. Before being called into the ministry, I worked as an aerospace engineer on the Apollo program. I will never forget the day the lunar lander touched down on the moon. This bold headline dominated the front page of the Minneapolis Star : "Neil Armstrong Lands on the Moon." It was an achievement I was proud to be part of.

But the really big news came months earlier on page 7 in the third section: "Heidi Jo Anderson, born to Mr. and Mrs. Neil Anderson, Northwestern Hospital, March 12, 1969." That may not sound like big news to you, but it was to her mother and me. Heidi totally took over my den and captured an entire shelf in the refrigerator. She altered our sleeping pattern and restricted our social calendar. But she was ours to hold, to hug and to care for.

What does God care about moon shots? They are deeds to be outdone. Somebody will always come along and do it better, faster and higher. What God cares about is little people like Heidi Jo Anderson because they will be with Him forever.

The second significant event in my life was receiving my first doctoral degree. But it turned out to be one of the most anticlimactic days of my life. I heard no applause from heaven, and I don't believe my achievement added so much as an asterisk to my name in the Lamb's Book of Life. I was a child of God before that day and I was still a child of God afterward.

But what happens in heaven when one sinner repents? Applause! Why? Because a relationship with God is eternal, while earthly achievements last only for time. Have you sacrificed the eternal to gain the temporal? Have you ignored personal and spiritual relationships in your pursuit of human achievements? Relationships must always have a higher priority than temporal achievements.

[Queen Mother]

January 22, 2008

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Thoughts on today's verse

Ask! So often we're afraid to ask for help because we have to admit we don't have the answers. Seek! Effort and interest and perseverance are necessary and that's sometimes hard. Knock! But God wants us to use the A.S.K. principle and bring our hearts before him. So let's not whine, complain, desire, and want. Let's A.S.K. our Father and seek his glory.

Prayer:

Waiting Father, I am sorry that so often you hear only my whines, complaints, and concerns. You have been so generous with your love. Help me to keep my heart set on you and your will today as I ask you to minister to the things on my heart. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

[Queen Mother]

January 23, 2008

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Thoughts on today's verse

Wisdom is that illusive quality we respect in others and find so difficult to develop in ourselves. Yet God promises it to those who really ask. But remember the secret of ASKing -- asking, seeking, and knocking. Or better yet, check out Proverbs 2. Wisdom is ours only if we seek it above all other possessions and value it above all other diversions. God longs to impart it, but there is something about wisdom that demands we value it before we can receive it.

Prayer:

Gracious giver of all good gifts, please bless me with wisdom today. Let me reflect your will and live for your glory in all my decisions. Let your Kingdom guide my heart as I make my choices and have your Spirit lead me in your ways. I confess, Father, that I cannot guide my own steps without your help. So grant me wisdom this day. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

[Queen Mother]

January 24

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Galatians 6:1
If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Thoughts on today's verse

In a day when intervening in someone's life is no longer politically and socially correct, these verses ring out like a gunshot on a still night. Sin is still real and is just as deadly as ever. Yet because we fear being branded judgmental, we let many who are trapped by sin go to their spiritual death. The call is for nonjudgmental intervention -- we recognize the gravity of the sin and the need of the sinner, without feeling arrogant in our righteousness. "There but for the grace of God go I."

Prayer:

Father, forgive my sins as I forgive those who have sinned against me. But Father, also help my heart to be gripped by the gravity of sin's effects and to be stirred into action by those whom it has trapped. Through Jesus, who came to rescue me from my sin, I pray. Amen

[Queen Mother]

January 25

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Philippians 4:8
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.

Thoughts on today's verse

Our actions follow our thoughts like a heat-seeking missile follows the exhaust of a jet fighter's engine. So in a day when so much around us trains us to find the negative in life, we must aggressively think and pursue the character, the qualities, and the things of God's goodness.

Prayer:

Holy and Magnificent God, thank you for being better than anything my world can offer me. Thank you for calling me to a higher standard than the world accepts. Thank you for giving me the promise of a better future than any human can imagine. Thank you for giving me a high calling. In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen.

[Fish-Bait]

Sometimes my aggresiveness wanes......

[bpitt]

Sometimes my aggresiveness wanes......

Aggresiveness? I think you're mistaken, that's called 'constipation'.

[Queen Mother]

......
Our actions follow our thoughts like a heat-seeking missile follows the exhaust of a jet fighter's engine. ........


The battle is always in our minds because that's where Satan knows he can influence us most and make us act in ways that our God-filled hearts would disagree.

We have to follow our hearts - which is where God's spirit dwells in us! :) This is something I work on every day - trying not to act based on my emotions. It ain't easy, I can tell you that!!

[bpitt]

Remember though, that even the heart can be misleading. I don't remember the verse, but there is scripture that states that even your heart can deceive you. When you get to the point where you think your heart is misleading you, that is when you go to your fellow Christians and confide in them, discuss it, ask for help. If they are Christian friends, they'll help guide you back on the right path.

I will say, though, it is hard to find good Christian friends, there aren't as many around as you may think.

[Queen Mother]

January 26

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Thoughts on today's verse

Humble yourselves. That sounds obscene. At least to the culture of self-promotion and "get ahead at all cost" and "don't look back, the competition is gaining on you" it sounds obscene. Humility is a forgotten virtue. Often confused with weakness or timidity, humility is about knowing our proper place in the world without flaunting it. Only God can exalt in a permanent way, so the key is to know our place before him and let him put us in the place he chooses to honor him.

Prayer:

Most Holy God, thank you for allowing me into your presence. When I think of all that you have done, the incredible universe you have made and hold together by your word, I am amazed you invite me into your presence and care about my words. Thank you for knowing me and having a plan for my life to please you. Help me this day to glorify you in what I do. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

[Queen Mother]

January 27

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Ephesians 6:12-13
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Thoughts on today's verse

How often do you forget that we are in a spiritual war? Our enemy is deceptively cunning - take away the immediacy of a threat and the danger appears gone. But he's there, always. But rather than try to guess his plans and counter all of his moves, Paul reminds us to simply take up the tools God has given us and stand up to the evil one.

Prayer:

Lord of Hosts, my Great Deliverer, protect me from the evil one by your great power. Give me a sense of urgency as I face Satan and his schemes on a daily basis, but also give me confidence that Jesus has already defeated my foe. Help me to stand against this foe and show myself faithful to you. Through Jesus my Lord and Savior I pray. Amen.

[Queen Mother]

January 28

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

John 4:24
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Thoughts on today's verse

Genuine worship is a gift. Since God is spirit, since he is holy, we cannot fully approach him without the gift and blessing of his Holy Spirit. As Christians who received his Spirit when we were baptized into Christ and born of God, we can now speak to him and worship him Spirit to Spirit.

Prayer:

Father, by the gift of your Spirit I come to you as your child. Thank you so much for giving me your Spirit so that I can approach you with confidence and know you hear the concerns of my heart. Please accept the worship of my heart, of my words, and of my actions. May the things I do today bring you glory. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.'

[Queen Mother]

January 29

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

Thoughts on today's verse

Last? Nobody likes to be last. We have a hard enough time settling for second place, much less last place. Jesus reverses the rank. The person who is most important to him is not the person seeking the status and notoriety. The most important person is like Jesus himself: willing to give up rank and status and importance to serve. For Jesus, last means first in service and first in the eyes of God.

Prayer:

Magnificent God my Savior, you have made the world wonderful for me and have given your Son to redeem me. How can I ever thank you or repay you for your grace and kindness. Today help me see those you want me to serve with grace and kindness as I try to be more like you. This I pray in the name of the one who washed his disciples' feet. Amen.

[Queen Mother]

January 30

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Thoughts on today's verse

"You mean I have to put up with that!?" There are those folks in life about whom the saying is true: "They are the grit out of which we are to fashion our pearl." But our great example in this challenge is Jesus. Think of what he had to put up with in his 12 disciples. Remember how transformational his patience and gentleness with them was. Can we dare to less?

Prayer:

Give me strength and patience, O God, that I may be as loving, gentle, and patient with others as you have been with me. Through Jesus my Lord and hero I pray. Amen.

[Queen Mother]

January 31

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Psalm 86:5
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you.

Thoughts on today's verse

Forgiveness is such a sweet blessing. But God does more than forgive! He cleanses and forgets. His love is not metered out or carefully rationed. He pours it out upon us if we genuinely seek him as our God and Father.

Prayer:

O Precious Father, I call to you wanting you to know how important your love and forgiveness are in my life. Thank you for sending Jesus to show your love and pay the debt of my sin. Help me to live today as your child: may others see my joy and my passion, to you glory. Through my Savior I pray. Amen.

[Queen Mother]

February 1

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Thoughts on today's verse

So many times Satan seduces us into a flat, 2 dimensional Christianity - going to church and doing good deeds. But God calls us to a three dimensional faith. He wants us to love him with all of our being in all of our actions and with all of our might.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I honor you as God Almighty. I appreciate you for all your kindness and blessings lavished upon me. I love you because you first loved me in Jesus. My heart's desire today is to demonstrate my love for you in all I do, and love and say. Through Jesus. Amen.

[Queen Mother]

February 2

A RADICAL, INNER TRANSFORMATION
by Neil Anderson

1 Corinthians 15:10
By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain

If you believe that you are part light and part darkness, part saint and part sinner, you will live in a very mediocre manner with little to distinguish you from the non-Christian. You may confess your proneness to sin and strive to do better, but you will live a continually defeated life because you perceive yourself to be only a sinner saved by grace who is hanging on until the rapture. Satan knows he can do nothing about who you really are, but if he can get you to believe you are no different from the natural person, then you will behave no differently from the natural person.

Why does this profile describe so many Christians? Because we are ignorant of our true identity in Christ. God's work of atonement in changing sinners to saints is His greatest accomplishment on earth. The inner change, justification, is effected at the moment of salvation. The outer change in the believer's daily walk, sanctification, continues throughout life. But the progressive work of sanctification is only fully effective when the radical, inner transformation of justification is realized and appropriated by faith.

"But didn't I read somewhere that Paul referred to himself as the chief of sinners?" you may wonder. Yes, but he was referring to his nature before his conversion to Christ (1 Timothy 1:12-16). He made a similar statement of self-depreciation in 1 Corinthians 15:9, but continued by saying: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain" (verse 10). Paul knew that who he was before Christ and who he became in Christ were two separate identities.

If you claim to be just a sinner, what will you do? You will sin! You are professing that sin is at the core of your identity. That's not what the Bible teaches. Why don't we just believe God that Jesus is at the core of our being and then begin to live like it by His Spirit?

[Queen Mother]

February 4, 2008

Wisdom of the Ages: Proverbs

Read Proverbs 19:13
“A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.”

I am glad I didn’t come up with this proverb, because I could get in trouble making such a statement. The only thing that can be done with a dripping faucet is to fix the problem. If you ignore the problem, the water will destroy the surface it hits and the faucet will continue dripping. If your wife is quarrelsome, take time to listen to what is aggravating her and try to make a change so that the quarrels will end. You see, the problem may not be the drip but the plumber!

[Queen Mother]

February 5, 2008

SHRINKING BACK
by Gail Rodgers

We met in Starbucks. She was just passing through town and it was a treat to get together in person. As usual, we jumped in at the deep end and wanted to share what God was teaching us these days. As she raised requests I suggested we pray. Quietly, with open eyes, I asked God to meet the needs of her life.

We talked more and then she said she wanted to pray for me. With not so quiet a voice and with eyes pressed closed and hands grasping mine she lifted her heart to our Heavenly Father.

And I felt my heart shrink back. Could she pray a little quieter or a little less intensely? I am ashamed to say I felt a twinge of embarrassment enter my heart.

Very shortly after that God put a book in my pathway that challenged just this very thing in my life. In essence I was denying Christ. I thought of Peter and how easy it was for him to deny Jesus on that night of Jesus' death. Then in my own devotions I read these words,

"For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back I will not be pleased with him.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Hebrews 10: 38-39

It took me by surprise that I could find myself in that same position as Peter found himself in ..... only I was in Starbucks where there was no threat at all to my faith or my life.

How good God is to reveal the very nature of our hearts to us when we feel we are being "faithful" followers. What a challenge it is to grow in our boldness in following our Lord and Savior.

Today, whether you are a quiet Christian, a bold witness, or somewhere in between why not join me in asking God to fill you with a greater boldness and more courage to stand in persevering faith... one never knows when in this world we will be called upon to stand firm. We need to be determined not to shrink back. God will help us as we ask Him to.

[Queen Mother]

February 7

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Phil Ware

Psalm 97:10
Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Thoughts on today's verse

Hate -- what a bold and powerful word. We must not hate people. We must hate evil. It's a tough combination to pull off, but absolutely vital. Evil is here because of the Evil One -- the champion of hate, lies, and death. So when evil rears its ugly head, let's be courageous and oppose Satan and his work. In the process, let's pray for those trapped in its tentacles, even if they consider us enemies.

[Queen Mother]

February 8

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Philip Ware

Matthew 5:43-45
[Jesus said,] "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Thoughts on today's verse

We often talk about the privileges of being a child of God - forgiveness, salvation, a future in heaven with him, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and ultimate victory when Christ comes. One of the greatest privileges we get, however, is the opportunity to act toward those who dislike and hate us in a way that reflects the character of God himself. Anyone can return hate for hate, but it takes a child of God to return a blessing and a prayer for their enemies.

[Fotno]

Thanks for doing these QM.
Just wanted to let you know that people are reading these.
At least I am.
Thanks.

[Fotno]

I need all the help I can get.

[Queen Mother]

February 11

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Philip Ware

1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Thoughts on today's verse

Love does not focus on me, but on others. Each of these qualities of love is based upon an affectionate, compassionate, and forgiving attitude that regards others of value and not just self. No wonder the old saying goes "The middle of sIn is a big I!"

[Queen Mother]

February 23

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Philip Ware

Ephesians 2:4-5
Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.

Thoughts on today's verse

I cannot think of anything I'd prefer the Holy God to be rich in than mercy. I know my failures, shortcomings, sins, and transgressions. Without his mercy to pardon, and without his grace to send Jesus to pardon at first, I would be lost and without God. Now, because of his rich mercy, my life is tied to Jesus' future and not the one I earned for myself.

[Queen Mother]

February 24

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Philip Ware

1 John 4:19
We love because [God] first loved us.

Thoughts on today's verse

It's all very simple. God is love. He is its origin, example, and architect. I love because he loved me first. I know how to love because he has demonstrated it. I can love because he made me to have his likeness. He is the fountain, the motivation, and the pinnacle of love. I love because he does, first, last, and always.

[Queen Mother]

February 27

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Philip Ware

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Thoughts on today's verse

"Talk is cheap!" "You can tell me with your words, but I'll show it with my life." "Put your life where your mouth is." We know the slogans, now let's live love in truth. In a world where barter has replaced sacrificial and steadfast love, let's go against the grain and do the truth!

[Queen Mother]

February 28

Heartlight Daily Verse
by Philip Ware

2 Timothy 1:7
God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

Thoughts on today's verse

Power! We like that concept. When it is godly power, might does make right, because godly power is accompanied by love and self-discipline. These three together make a person's life effective. Live life to its fullest: not as a closet Christian, afraid of standing true and firm, but one who lives by God's power, shares God's love, and displays God's virtues.