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August 2014 Archives

Printable Issue 2870  Today is Friday, August 1st, 2014; Karen's Korner #2870

Jesus Heals ALL Who Touch Him

"They landed at Gennesaret. The news of their arrival spread quickly throughout the city, and soon people were rushing around, telling everyone to bring in their sick to be healed. The sick begged Him to let them touch even the tassel of His robe, and all who did were healed."

~ Matthew 14:34-36 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "The people recognized Jesus as a great healer, but how many understood who He truly was? They came to Jesus for physical healing, but did they come for spiritual healing? They came to prolong their lives on earth, but did they come to secure their eternal lives? People may seek Jesus to learn valuable lessons from His life or in hopes of finding relief from pain. But we have missed Jesus' whole message if we seek Him only to heal our bodies but not our souls, if we look to Him for help only in this life, rather than for His eternal plan for us. Only when we understand the real Jesus Christ can we appreciate how He can truly change our lives."

***


Printable Issue 2871  Today is Monday, August 4th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2871

A couple of "Mother Teresa-isms"; wise woman who attracted resources and volunteers to her ministry and outreach:

"What is our spiritual life?

A love union with Jesus, in which the divine and the human give themselves to one another."

*

"Surely if God feeds the young ravens which cry to him, if he nourishes the birds which neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, if he vests the flowers of the field so beautifully, how much more will he care for men whom he has made in his own image and likeness and adopted as his children, if we only act as such."

*

"In loving and serving, we prove that we have been created in the likeness of God, for God is love and when we love we are like God. This is what Jesus meant when he said,

'Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.'"

*

"Being prayer in your family, bring it to your little children. Teach them to pray. For a child that prays is a happy child. A family that prays is a united family."

*

"A joyful heart is like a sunshine of God's love."

***

Printable Issue 2872  Today is Tuesday, August 5th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2872

Ever heard anyone say, "He's (she) so heavenly-minded, he's no earthly good!" ?

You fill in the blanks of what that person might be saying or doing to get the 'title'.


The other day I got started thinking about, "He's (she) so earthly-minded, he's not heavenly good!"


Could it happen to us when we are asking God for things, not according to what HE has in mind? His plans? For our best? For our world?

I think it happened to Jesus' disciples, when they started to learn that maybe Jesus wasn't going to be the earthly king like they thought. He started to tell them about His death. How was that going to work into their earthly plans?


"From then on Jesus began to speak plainly to his disciples about going to Jerusalem, and what would happen to him there--that he would suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders, that he would be killed, and that three days later he would be raised to life again."

~ Matthew 16:21 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "Jesus' new emphasis was on his death and resurrection. Still, the disciples didn't grasp Jesus' true purpose because of their preconceived notions about what the Messiah should be. This was the first time Jesus predicted his death."

***

Forgive us, Father God, when we want something different from your plans. Plans which are far greater than we can hope or imagine!

Printable Issue 2873  Today is Wednesday, August 6th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2873

Something written by Max Lucado and taken from his book "Grace":


CHRIST IN YOU

"When grace happens, Christ enters. Christ in you, the hope of glory! For many years, I missed this truth. I believed all the other prepositions. Christ for me, with me, ahead of me. But I never imagined that Christ was in me.

"I can't blame my deficiency on Scripture. Paul refers to the indwelling Christ 216 times. John mentions his presence 26 times. No other religion or philosophy makes such a claim. No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers.

"Muhammed does not indwell Muslims. Buddha does not inhabit Buddhists. Influence? Instruct? Yes. But occupy? No!

"The mystery of Christianity is summarized in Colossians 1:27, 'Christ in you!' The Christian is a person in whom Christ is happening. Little by little a new image emerges! All because of God's Grace!"



Printable Issue 2874  Today is Thursday, August 7th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2874

The first part of July, Anne Graham Lotz of AnGeL Ministries, tackled a 'seven day urgent call to prayer' as we headed up to, and celebrated our nation's birthday on the 4th of July.

While it is a month plus past that time, the thoughts and prayers are just as relevant. She sent information for each day for readers to consider. Today's Karen's Korner is taken from Day Six (in part):

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive all

'GLORY'

"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word." (Hebrews 1:3)

* We worship You, Lord Jesus Christ, as God in 'homespun and sandals', come down to perfectly reveal to us the character of the Father. When we want to know what God is like, we can look to You. When we want to know what's in His heart and what's on His mind, we can look at You. You illuminate the darkness of our circumstances and the chaotic confusion of our world, giving hope for the future. You are the marvelous, everlasting and all-powerful Light that shines abroad in our hearts that we might no longer walk in the darkness of deception, fear, ignorance and evil, but in the love and light of Your glory.

* We repent of tarnishing Your glory with our bitterness, meanness, unforgiveness, pridefulness, unkindness, rudenss, self-righteousness or any sin that makes other think less of You. We repent of giving others the impression that You tolerate sin because we do.

* We repent of hiding Your glory in our denominational loyalty that can lead to diviseness and exlusiveness so that we make others feel they are on the periphery of Your inner circle, and so feel alienated from You.

* We repent of giving You glory, while taking a 10% commission for ourselves.

* We choose to give You all the glory and reflect Your glory accurately and winsomely, through the powerful presence to Your Spirit within us, so that other are irresistibly drawn to You.

" We ask, as we repent of our sin, that You cleanse and fill us with Yourself so that Your church is filled with Your glory.

*We ask that Your church, once again, be the Light of the world, like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, beckoning the lost to come home to You.

* We ask that our conduct and character would make others want to know You, to love You, and to put their trust in You.


She then asks us to fill in our own blanks with worship thoughts, words of repentence, and humbly asking for His Guidance in whatever comes into your mind.


Printable Issue 2875  Today is Friday, August 8th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2875

Three Proverbs to take us into the weekend. Proverbs are known for their 'wisdom'. We can obtain 'knowledge' from our educations; 'wisdom' comes from God.


"The Lord's blessing is our greatest wealth. All our work adds nothing to it!"

~ Proverbs 10:22

*

Bible Commentary:  "This proverb is in sharp contrast to our society which measures personal worth by how much a person owns. Our relationship to God is our most valuable possession. This blessing is not reserved for the rich. It is for all who call upon the name of the Lord. Neither is it something for which we must work hard; our efforts can add nothing to what God freely offers. Those who spend their lives enjoying only material wealth will never experience the true happiness that comes from enjoying God."

**

"Evil words destroy. Godly skills rebuilds."

~ Proverbs 11:9

*

Bible Commentary:  "Words can be used either as weapons or tools, hurting relationships or building them up. Sadly, it is often easier to destroy than to build, and most people have experienced more destructive words than words which build up. Every person you meet today is either a demolition site or a construction opportunity. Your words will make a difference. Will they be weapons for destruction or tools for construction?"

**

"Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed."

~ Proverbs 12:19

*

Bible Commentary: " Truth is both timeless and timely; it applies today and always. Because it is connected with God's changeless character, it is also changeless. Think for a moment about the centuries that have passed since these proverbs were written. Consider the countless hours that have been spent carefully studying every sentence in Scripture. The Bible has withstood the test of time. Because God is its source of truth, you can trust its guidance."

***



Printable Issue 2876  Today is Monday, August 11th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2876

A 'tasty morsel' from Sarah Young's "JESUS CALLING:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence", 365-day flip calendar. This is today's:


"Come To Me; Come To Me; Come To Me.

This is my continual invitation to you, proclaimed in holy whispers.

When your heart and mind are quiet, you can hear Me inviting you to draw near.

Coming close to Me requires no great effort on your part; more like ceasing to resist the magnetic pull of My Love.

Open yourself to My loving Presence, so that I may fill you My fullness.

I want you to experience 'how wide and long and high and deep is My Love for you so that you can know My Love that surpasses knowledge'.

This vast ocean of Love cannot be measured or explained, but it can be experienced."

*

Her thoughts are taken from:  Revelation 12:17; John 6:37; and Ephesians3:16-19.

Printable Issue 2877  Today is Tuesday, August 12th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2877

Something from Max Lucado to start our day:

LET GRACE HAPPEN

"I became a Christian about the same time I became a Boy Scout and I made the assumption that God grades like the Boy Scout's do.....on a merit system. Good scouts move up. Good people go to heaven.

So, I worked toward the day when God, amid falling confetti and dancing cherubim, would drape my badge-laden sash across my chest and welcome me into his eternal kingdom where I would humbly display my badges for eternity.

But some thorny questions surfaced. How many badges does He require? How good is good? Ephesians 2:8 says, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.'

Unearned. A gift. Our merits merit nothing. Let grace happen. Of all the things you must earn in life, God's unending affection is not one of them. You have it!!

***


.


Printable Issue 2878  Today is Wednesday, August 13th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2878

Juan Salas, a 2014 Clarion-Goldfield graduate, had a dream and vision of building a 9-hole disc golf course on our high school grounds as part of his Senior Life Project. All C-G seniors are required to do a community service project as part of their senior English class.

As he leaves for college today, Juan has either completed the construction work or has plans under way for its completion by others. The course includes start launch pads for each hole with baskets several hundred feet down each fairway to catch launched discs (aka as fresbies to non-disc golf players).

I got involved, not with the construction but with the funding of the work, pointing Juan different directions in our community, looking for money to make his plan become a reality.

 But I spent some time trying to figure out how the 4'- plus tall, chained, catch baskets would standup while the ten-inch wide by two-foot deep concrete-filled hole, waiting for the cement to harden.

No worries. A slender pipe is placed in each hole with an inch or two of metal protruding above the cement. When the gooey mixture is dry, the catch basket slides inside the metal tube and the two metal pieces are padlocked into place for lots of fun play, by especially young people, who are now enjoying the sport.

Seems there were engineers who designed how the process should work and directions for anyone who was going to be building such a course. Good idea! Too hard for each novice to figure out on his/her own.

Same could be said for us and our lives. Too hard to figure out our daily construction or for us to know what we should be doing or how we should be living on our own. We need an Instruction Manual (aka Holy Bible) as a guide to help and to give us direction to know how to handle life's situation. We need a plan and God gave us one!


Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for giving us instruction and direction. We can't figure life out - past, present, and future - and how things fit together. Thank You for having an overall plan for each of us. Thank You for Your undying Love and Care. Once again today, we need your help! Thanks for never leaving us nor forsaking us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Printable Issue 2879  Today is Thursday, August 14th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2879

Taken from a graphic in my Bible looking at 'worshiping God' versus 'worshiping idols'. We know about worshiping God, but idols? We visualize an idol as an object we might wear or hold in our hands. Or what about the movie "The Ten Commandments" when the people were fashioning a golden calf as an idol.

We are exposed to 'idols' all the time. Our dictionary says, "an image of a god, used as something to be worshiped; might be a person or thing that is greatly admired or loved'. What might be our idols? Money,  superstars, computers, facebook connections? What is on your list? Other thoughts on your part?


WORSHIPING GOD vs. WORSHIPING IDOLS

long-range benefits......short-range benefits

gratification postponed......self-gratification immediate

morality required.........sensuality approved

high ethical standards demanded........low ethical standards tolerated

unseen God worshiped........visible deities worshiped

unselfishness expected.......selfishness condoned

strict religious practices maintained.........religious practices loosely regulated

changed life demanded.......changed life not demanded

ethical stand expected.......compromise and cooperation practiced

concern for others taught......no concern for others expected


"The temptation to follow false gods because of short-term benefits, good feeling, easy 'rules' or convenience is always present. But the benefits are deceptive because the gods are false. We worship God because he is the one and only true God."

**


Printable Issue 2880  Today is Friday, August 15th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2880

Coming into the weekend, I am sharing the WHOLE chapter of Psalms 43 (it's five verses long!). The theme it says, "Hope in a time of discouragement. In the face of discouragement, our only hope is in God."

Discouragement in ourselves? Our families? Our jobs? Our community? Our church group? Our nation? Our government? Our world? Chances are pretty good there is something that causes us to be discouraged (or at least questioning and wondering).

Here is what the Psalm writer has to say:

"O God, defend me from the charges of these merciless, deceitful men. For you are God, my only place of refuge. Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I mourn at the oppression of my r holy mountain, Zion. There I will go to the altar of God my exceeding joy, and praise him with my harp. O God---my God! O my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! I shall again praise him for his wondrous help; he will make me smile again, for He is my God!!

*

Bible Commentary:  "The psalm writer asked God to send his light and truth to guide him to the Temple where he would meet God. God's truth provides the right path to follow, and God's light provides the clear vision to follow it. If you feel surrounded by darkness and uncertainty, follow God's light and truth back to Him."

***




Printable Issue 2881  Today is Monday, August 18th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2881

Something written by Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter:

God's Boundaries

"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil......"

~ Genesis 2:16-17 NIV

"In the first home, the Lord God taught man the difference between right and wrong. Adam needed to know what his boundaries were, what was acceptable to God and what was not.

"Can you imagine the chaos that would result if a multilane highway had no painted markings to give direction to the traffic? Accidents and confusion would be the order of the day. No one complains about or resents the markings because drivers know the painted boundaries exist for their own benefit and safety.

"Today we are surrounded by a generation of people who have grown up living according to their own moral codes, defying the boundaries set by God. As a result, it is a generation with no peace or sense of security. Rather than inhibiting us, moral guidelines free us to live in peace and security. The statistics on crime, divorce, abortion, and suicide give eloquent witness to the danger of living outside God's boundaries. He has drawn the lines--we need to stay within them!"

***



Printable Issue 2882  Today is Tuesday, August 19th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2882

Remember the story of Ponce de Leon from your history lessons? The Spanish explorer who was looking for the "Fountain of Youth". He found Florida, among other discoveries!

Seems like we have been looking for such things since time began; and time passes. Something to consider from Proverbs:

"Wisdom is a fountain of life to those possessing it, but a fool's burden is his folly."

~ Proverbs 17:22

*

Bible Commentary:  "For centuries, people sought a fountain of youth; a spring which they thought would give eternal life and vitality. It was never found. But God's wisdom is a fountain of life that can make a person happy, healthy, and alive forever. How? When we live by God's Word he washes away the deadly effects of sin, and the hope of eternal life with Him gives us a joyful perspective on our present life. The fountain of youth was only a dream, but the fountain of life is reality. The choice is yours. You can be enlightened by God's wisdom, or you can be dragged down by the weight of your own foolishness."

***


Printable Issue 2883  Today is Wednesday, August 20th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2883

We all get them:  pass along emails. Some of them are good; others sort of take up our time.

I received one from a school class mate, complete with sayings and graphics. It's a good one! I am going to share a handful of them today (minus the graphics!). So good are they, this is Part 1 of 2:


"You cannot hang out with negative people

and expect to live a positive life."

*

"If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind,

of what then, is an empty desk a sign?"

~ Albert Einstein

*

"A pretty face is nothing if you have an ugly heart."

*

"Always remember that your present situation is not your final destination;

the best is yet to come."

*

"Music is what feelings sound like!"

*

"Be thankful for the bad things in life;

for they opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before!"

***

Printable Issue 2884  Today is Thursday, August 21st, 2014; Karen's Korner #2884

Every weekday I receive an inspirational thought into my computer email from Max Lucado. You can tell that I like to collect and some of his best ones (they are all good, but some I enjoy more than others). But today's was too good to save for another day, so here is his for Thursday, August 21:


By Grace Through Faith

"The supreme force in salvation is God's grace. Not our works. Not our
talents. Not our feelings. Not our strength. Faith is not born at the
negotiating table where we barter our gifts in exchange for God's goodness.
Faith is not an award given to the most learned. It's not a prize given to the
most disciplined.


"Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9,  'For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by
works, so that no one can boast.'


"We, like Paul, are aware of two things. We are great sinners and we need a
great Savior. Salvation is God's sudden, calming presence during the stormy seas
of our lives. Death is disarmed. Failures are forgiven. Life has real purpose.
And God is not only within sight, He is within reach!"

**

Printable Issue 2885  Today is Friday, August 22nd, 2014; Karen's Korner #2885

A couple of verses from Psalms to take us into the weekend:


"Sing to the Lord, all earth! Sing of His glorious Name. Tell the world how wonderful He is!

How awe-inspiring are Your deeds, O God! How great Your power! No wonder Your enemies surrender! All the earth shall worship You and sing of Your glories. Come, see the glorious things God has done. What marvelous miracles happen to His people!

He made a dry road through the  sea for them. (Red Sea opening up). They went across on foot. What excitement and joy there was that day!

Because of His great power He rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations. O rebel lands, He will deflate your pride!

~ Psalm 66:1-7 LAB

**

Printable Issue 2886  Today is Monday, August 25th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2886

Last week I shared a 'pass along' email with sayings and graphics, sent to me by a school class mate; today's is Part 2 of 2 (once again minus the graphics):


"One of the hardest decisions you'll ever face in life

is choosing whether to walk away or try harder."

*

*We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience."

*

"You know why it's hard to be happy?

It's because we refuse to let go of the things that make us sad."

*

"When asked how they managed to stay together for 65 years,

the woman replied,

'We were born in a time when if something was broken we fixed it;

not throw it away.'"

*

"'What day is it?' asked Pooh.

"'It is today,' squeaked his pal.

"'My favorite,' said Pooh.'"

***

Printable Issue 2887  Today is Tuesday, August 26th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2887

The first week in July, Anne Graham Lotz organized '7-7-7: An Urgent Call to Pray'; seven days from July 1 through July 7:  for our nation and for our world as we celebrated our country's birthday on July 4. The seventh day was the 'longest day', encouraging participants to seven hours of prayers. Lotz had outlined some helps and Bible verses.

Here is what she included for 'Hour Four' (it's a little longer than some Karen's Korners, but good. So what if it is the wrong day!):

"We hear the hiss of that Old Serpent, the devil...

In the lies, blasphemies, and profanities that bombard our ears. In the denial of Your existence as the Creator and Supreme Lord of the Universe. In the refusal to acknowledge and thank You for the blessings we have received, and instead give credit to our own ingenuity, knowledge, technology, and might. In the rejection of Your commandments, Your Word, Your Gospel, and Your people.

"We see the Old Serpent's movements...

as the innocent are slaughtered, as bullies seize power and people, terrorizing the weak, as nations rise against nations, as treaties and covenants are shattered, as children are abused and exploited, as drugs and alcohol stupefy bright minds and enslave lives, as women are debased, as men cower, as generational hatred and prejudices are kept smoldering.

"We succumb to the Old Serpent's tactics by being...

Too busy to pray, too sophisticated to read our Bibles, too proud to acknowledge, confess, and repent of our sin, too tolerant to share the Gospel. And therefore, too deceived to discern the Truth. That the devil is real. He is a roaring lion who can appear as an angel of light, seeking to deceive us, weaken us, distract us, divide us, devour us, and ultimately, destroy us."

"But no more. Not today. We worship You. We confess our sin. So on this day, as Your mighty army, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, the Captain of the Lord's Host, we come against the devil, his demons, and all those he is using for his evil purposes. We command the evil and unloving spirits to be bound, confused, and powerless. We command that the evil strategies and plans against Your people that the enemy is plotting would be thwarted, and that all the enemy intends for us will fall back on himself. We lift high the Cross as our battle standard.

"Protect and deliver us from evil, we earnestly pray. Give us the confidence that more are they that are with us, than they that are with them. That greater are You within us than any evil one who is in our world. Use us to rescue those who are in the enemy's grip to snatch them from the fire.

"Most Holy Father, we ask that Your kingdom come, Your will be done here on earth as it is done there, in Heaven. Shine Your Light into the deep recesses of our world where the enemy seems to rule:  the gulags, killing fields, prisons, religious institutions. covens, brothels, and places too terrible to name. Reveal to us how to resist and overcome evil. Help us to strengthen others to stand with us, shoulder to shoulder against evil.

"We ask all this things in Jesus' Name. Amen."



Printable Issue 2888  Today is Wednesday, August 27th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2888

"That evening, the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'It is already past time for supper, and there is nothing to eat here in the dessert; send the crowds away so they can go to the village and buy some food.'

"But Jesus replied, 'That isn't necessary---you feed them!'

"'What!' they exclaimed. 'We have exactly five small loaves of bread and two fish!'

"'Bring them here,' he said.

"Then he told the people to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up into the sky and asked God's blessing on the meal, then broke the loaves apart and gave them to the disciples to place before the people. And everyone ate until full! And when the scraps were picked up afterwards, there were twelve basketfuls left over! About 5,000 men were in the crowd that day, besides all the women and children." (Total number of people could have been 10 - 15 thousand!)

~ Matthew 14:9 - 22 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:   "Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed thousands of people. What he was originally given seemed insufficient, but in his hands it became more than enough. We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is meager, but he can use and multiply whatever we give him, whether it is talent, time, or treasure. It is when we give them to Jesus that our resources are multiplied."

***

Printable Issue 2889  Today is Thursday, August 28th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2889

Something from Max Lucado; today might be a day for some of us (all?) need to take the opportunity to 'jump into God's loving Fatherly-arms':

DOING WHAT COMES NATURALLY

"My child's feelings are hurt; I tell her she's special. My child's injured. I do whatever it takes to make her feel better. My child's afraid. I won't go to sleep until she's secure. I'm not a hero. I'm not unusual. I'm a parent. When a child hurts, a parent does what comes naturally. He helps.

"Moments of comfort from a parent. I can tell you they're the sweetest moments in the day. They come naturally, willingly, joyfully. If all that's so true, then why am I so reluctant to let my heavenly Father comfort me?"

"Being a father has taught me that when I'm criticizes, injured, or afraid, there's a Father who's ready to comfort me. A Father who'll hold me until I'm better. And who won't go to sleep when I'm afraid. Ever! And that's enough."

***

Printable Issue 2890  Today is Friday, August 29th, 2014; Karen's Korner #2890

Something from tomorrow's (hey, I read ahead......) "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence" by Sarah Young. Mine is 365-day flip calendar; her popular writing is also in a small bound book of the same name:


"There is no place so desolate that you cannot find Me there. When Hagar fled from her mistress, Sarah, into the wilderness, she thought she was utterly alone and forsaken. But Hagar encountered Me in that desolate place. There she addressed Me as the Living One who sees me. Through that encounter with My Presence, she gained courage to return to her mistress.

"No set of circumstances could ever isolate you from My Loving Presence. Not only do I see you always; I see you as a redeemed saint gloriously radiant in My righteousness. That is why I take great delight in you and rejoice over you with singing!"

*

Young writes as though Jesus is speaking. She takes her thoughts from specific Bible verses. Read more about Hagar, Sarah & others in Genesis 16:7 - 14 AMP; Psalm 119:7-10; & Zephaniah 3:17.

****