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Date Posted: 11:12:22 11/03/24 Sun
Author: c
Subject: Supplementary Teachings 10/2024 (UPDATED)

Beside the Still waters 12/13/24

What defines a man?

(edited)

2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

What is it that defines a man? Repeatedly we see men who once were godly succumbing to sin and defeat. Often we ask what happened. While we may not be able to pinpoint the exact details, we can be sure of one thing. Somewhere they did not keep their heart for God. This is crucial because a man's heart is what defines him. “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,” Jesus said in Matthew 15:19. The wise man wrote, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23); and again, “A sound heart is the life of the flesh” (Proverbs 14:30).

Let's look at the thought process that destroys men. It operates in an uncleansed heart. It says that a “small” disobedience or impurity does not matter. It fails to realize not only that each “minor” misdeed is followed by reaping, but also that the reaping includes an even greater problem – a weakened moral life. The difference between a righteous man and one who is “mostly” righteous is in the depth of his commitment to God. If a man is only partially committed, he will not be able to stand when the real test comes. His moral uncertainty, however slight, will weaken his response.

...The difference between a vessel of honor and a vessel of dishonor is in whether the heart is pure or impure. Only a man with a pure heart can be a vessel of honor. He will be a true man of God because he is cleansed and ready.

Marvin Joel Eicher

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? ...He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart. - Psalm 24:3-4

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Our Daily Bread 11/1/24

Time well spent

(edited)

...”Be very careful then, how you live,” he wrote, “not as unwise but wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). God's wisdom instructs us to fill our days with intention and care, employing them to practice obedience to Him, to love our neighbor, and to participate in Jesus' ongoing redemption in the world. Sadly, it's entirely to ignore wisdom's instruction and instead use our time foolishly (v. 17), frittering away our years in selfish or destructive pursuits.

The point isn't to obsessively fret about time but simply to follow God in obedience and trust. He will help us make the most of our days.

Winn Collier

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Our Daily Bread 11/8/24

God's timing

(edited)

Mag had been looking forward to her planned trip to another country. But, as was her usual practice, she prayed about it first....Mag, however, believed in committing everything to Him. This time, she felt Him prompting her to cancel the trip. She did, and later – when she would have been there – an epidemic broke out in the country. “I feel like God was protecting me,” she notes.


As we pray about the decisions in our life, using our God-given faculties and waiting for His leading, we can trust His timing, knowing that our wise Creator knows what's best for us. As the psalmist declared, “I trust in You, LORD...my times are in Your hands” (Psalm 31:14-15).

Leslie Koh

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Today in the Word 11/7/24

The Windows of Heaven

2 Kings 7:1-20

(edited)

It is easy to misinterpret our circumstances when we are blinded by fear and disappointment. Sometimes our sin conceals what the Lord is doing in our lives. We believe He is against us, when in fact, His strong discipline is meant to draw us to Him!

...The wicked king of Israel blamed Elisha and sent a man to kill him! He thought that since God had sent a trial, he could not trust that same God to deliver. He would deliver Israel himself by killing God's prophet!

But the king failed to remember that the God of Israel used war and suffering to discipline His people, demonstrate His glory, and draw hearts back to Himself. He promised He would do this when He made the covenant with Israel (Deuteronomy 28:25-53). The suffering did not mean the LORD was against them; it meant they needed to repent and wait on the LORD, because the LORD was for Israel.

Steven Sanchez

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intouch.org Daily devotion 11/3/24

Steps of obedience

Psalm 119:147-148

(edited)

Yesterday we studied the importance of trusting and waiting on God. Today, let's look at three additional requirements:

1. Meditating. If we want to know the mind of God, we must meditate upon His Word (Psalm 119:27). We do not need to pick the “right” verses in order to know His will. He has the power to direct us from any portion of the Bible. Our part is to pursue wisdom through Scripture over a sustained period of time.

2. Listening. We must make an effort to learn how to recognize the prompting of the Holy Spirit. If we are studying a passage of Scripture, He will shed light on its meaning so we can understand how God is directing us. Or He will bring to remembrance a passage we have learned and reveal how it applies to our situation (John 14:26).

3. Walking. One final lesson regarding obedience is that sometimes we must walk even when the way is unclear.


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intouch.org Daily devotion 4/7/24

Seek the Lord

(edited)

A close relationship with the Lord doesn't happen accidentally. It requires continual, deliberate decisions to pursue Him. Intimacy can't be achieved in an inspiring weekend conference, nor can it be accomplished by reading a chapter or two of the Bible and praying indifferently. Seeking God is a lifetime commitment – day by day, year by year.

Too many believers are satisfied to have a shallow, superficial relationship with the Lord....

God doesn't need anything from you, but He desires your loving devotion and intimate fellowship....It will cost you time and effort, but the rewards are worth any sacrifice.

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intouch.org Daily devotional 11/17/24

How to apply God's principles

Psalm 119:17-24

(edited)

The process for applying scriptural principles is often misunderstood. It's not simply three steps: hear, believe, apply. We must also explore and discover before we take action.

To explore a biblical principle means studying Scripture to understand what the surrounding context is, what its lesson means for your life, and what it reveals about God. Furthermore, we must consider how all this relates to the rest of the Bible.

As we journey further into Scripture to explore, the new concept rises off the page and becomes real to us. We discover how the principle works and how to apply it to our life. As we do, God's rich truth becomes our own. The more we take into our heart and mind, the better they can impact us from the inside out.

...A principle is yours when you explore the truth, discover its place in your life, and apply the concept so that God can make it work.

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intouch.org Daily devotion 11/19/24

Overcoming failure

Romans 7:15-20

(edited)

Victory is God's will for the life of a believer. But sometimes we can find ourselves repeatedly falling into the same sin. If we want to do what is right, why do we continue to miss the mark?

One reason is incomplete repentance. It is possible for us to experience grief, embarrassment, and shame over sin without being truly repentant. Repentance isn't a matter of weeping or feeling guilty; rather, it's a change of mind about sin so that we no longer hold on to our perspective but instead agree with God's viewpoint. When we do this, the heart turns in the opposite direction from persistent wrongdoing (Proverbs 28:13).

The second reason for failure is an inadequate view of our identity in the Lord. We, as children of God, have Christ living within us. When we grasp this truth, we will recognize that sin does not fit who we are, and we'll stop rationalizing our offenses. Our genuine repentance is based upon an honest and biblical understanding of our identity.

When we put these two truths together, we create a powerful tool against temptation. Our Father wants us to be victorious, and we triumph when we remember that Jesus Christ is the source of our life.

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From the Pastor's heart

Dr. Charles Stanley

November 2024

(edited)


Paul's example provides three basic principles for living above our circumstances. I'm not saying your situation will improve if you practice these principles, but God will change you so you will be able to live with joy and contentment even if the trial remains.

First, focus on the Lord, not your circumstances or their effect on you. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)....If you will keep your focus on Christ, you too can rejoice through hardship.

Second, focus on the good that God is doing through the situation....

Did you know that a godly response to your difficulties is a powerful witness to a watching world? Instead of dwelling on the negatives, look for opportunities to share the Gospel. Thank God that He's positioned you to demonstrate Christ's sufficiency in the midst of your trials. Your godly response is an encouragement to fellow believers. They can draw strength from your example of faithful endurance.

What good is the Lord doing in your most difficult challenges? It's hard to see while you're going through them, but God's Word assures us that He uses trials to benefit us (Romans 8:28)....He designs our hardships to humble us, increase our faith, mature us spiritually, and make us more like Christ.

Third, submit yourself to God's will. Paul didn't know whether he would be released or killed in prison, but his expectation and hope was that “Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:20-21). Whatever God chose to do about his circumstances was not Paul's main concern. His priority was to exalt Christ by being faithful in whatever situation God placed him.

Is that your desire? Are you seeing your situation as the means God is using to accomplish His will in your life? Have you discovered the joy in submitting to Him? Difficulties don't have to defeat you. Rather than focusing on your feelings and disappointments, keep your eyes on the One Who is your life. He loves you and walks with you every step of the way so you can live above your circumstances.


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