Coffee Shop Chapel

I Am Blessed 24 · Aug 28, 2003

WELCOME BACK JIM!

You and Dan both post wonderful devotionals. Together you will be.............

THE DYNAMIC DUO!

§ue

Jim1999 · Aug 29, 2003

Thank you, Sue. I shall, with God's help, try to live up to the expectations.

Cheers,

Jim

Dan Todd · Aug 29, 2003

Sue,

I want to thank you for all your help during the last couple of months. Without your assistance, there would have been days with no devotionals.

The odd/even system that Jim and I worked out - is to begin on September 1. So if you would, I would like to see a couple more of your devotionals on August 30 and 31.

Your BB friend,
Dan Todd

I Am Blessed 24 · Aug 29, 2003

Thanks Dan.

I will post for you this Saturday and Sunday. I hope it does not offend anyone. I am not a Pastor, but my devotionals are written by a Pastor. I just copy and paste them.

I have enjoyed posting here and will be happy to "stand in the gap" should the need ever arise again. I am here to serve.

You and Jim will make an AWESOME team!

Blessings on your new adventure,
§ue

I Am Blessed 24 · Aug 29, 2003

OOPS! I deleted this post. I was thinking today was the 30th.

I will save the devotional that was here to post tomorrow.

dianetavegia · Aug 29, 2003

Welcome back Jim and a great big thank you to Sister Sue who stood in for Jim and helped out Dan this long hot summer! You did a splendid job!

What's all that hoopla about you not being a pastor? Never saw anything about posting devotionals or Bible verses being a 'man' thing! LOL

God bless and again, I enjoy the devotionals very much even tho I don't often post replies.

Diane

Barnabas H. · Aug 29, 2003

Yes indeed! Sue was a tremenduous help when Brother Dan could not post a devotional due to his work schedule. Thank you Sister Sue for standing in the gap!

following-Him · Aug 29, 2003

WELCOME BACK JIM,

and also thank you to Dan and Sue too. I have found all the devotionals a blessing and look forward to reading them in the future.

God Bless

Sheila

I Am Blessed 24 · Aug 30, 2003

DAILY DEVOTIONAL SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2003
( Haggai 1:3-11 )

Living beneath God's blessings.

As I was reading the Bible the other night,
I was reading the Book of Haggai and realized that people have never really changed even after all of these years. How much the people of God spoken about in the Book of Haggai were EXACTLY like the people of God today.

Let me set the context for you. The year is 520 BC. King Darius, the Medo-Persian king allowed a remnant of the children of Israel to return to
Jerusalem after being held in captivity for 70 years by the Babylonians so that they could rebuild the Temple.

However, the people of God were not as interested in rebuilding the house of God as they were in building their own houses. God spoke through His
prophet, Haggai, to let them know that because of their selfishness, they were missing the blessings of God. That is what I want to share with you today. How because of our selfishness, we are living beneath God's blessings. How we become so focused on OUR LIFE, on OUR GOALS, on
OUR DREAMS, on OUR DESIRES, we have forsaken the work of God and are missing His blessings.

There is not one person reading this today that doesn't want God's blessings in their life. Even those who don't believe there is a God, still want His blessings. The reality is, GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU! Jesus said, "it is your Father's pleasure to give you the Kingdom." But just like there are natural laws that govern the earth, there are spiritual laws that govern the
Kingdom of God.

Let me give you the key to God's blessings. GOD CANNOT AND WILL NOT BLESS DISOBEDIENCE. Let me say that one more time. GOD CANNOT AND WILL NOT BLESS DISOBEDIENCE. If you want God's
blessings, the first thing that you must do is live in accordance with His Word. The Bible tells us that "to obey is better than sacrifice." God said, "Oh that their hearts
would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever." GOD'S BLESSINGS FLOW FROM OUR OBEDIENCE!!!

So let's go one step further and look at the very first commandment. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Most of us feel pretty safe that we obey this commandment. After all, we don't worship the sun, or the clouds, or a chair, or a tree. We don't have hundreds of gods that we pray to. But I want to tell you today that whenever you put yourself before God, you have
literally taken Him off HIS throne and put yourself on it! You have said, "my will...not thy will be done."

How can we live in blatant disobedience to the very first commandment and still expect God to bless us? He can't, and He won't! That is why the Bible says, "you expected much, but see, it
turned out to be little." If we truly want God's blessings, the first step is to put God back in His rightful place, on His throne as the Lord of our life and live in obedience to what He calls us to do each day.

Today's scripture really shows us how empty this life can be without God's blessings. It is no wonder why so many turn to drugs, alcohol, sex, food, money...anything to escape. It is
frustrating to live without God's blessings. I am not talking so much about the material blessings as I am the SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS.

Don't you realize that there is no amount of money to buy true peace, not enough gold in the
world to buy real joy, not enough real estate on the planet to buy the abundant life that God has offered us. What price can you put on hope?
This world is lost, hurting, and without hope because it is living without God and without His blessings.

I give you the same challenge that the prophet
Haggai gave the children of Israel 2,500 years ago.

Start rebuilding the house of God in your heart. Take the focus off of building YOUR HOUSE, and put
it on building GOD'S HOUSE. Take the focus off of what YOU want to do, and put it on what God wants you to do. God wants to bless you abundantly so that you eat and are full, so that you drink and are never thirsty. God wants
to bless YOU TODAY! Isn't it time to stop living beneath His blessings, and start receiving all of the blessings that HE has for your life?

In His love and service,
Bill Keller

dianetavegia · Aug 30, 2003

Excellent Devotional! Thanks Sue!

Diane

I Am Blessed 24 · Aug 31, 2003

Thank you Diane! Today will be the last devotional I post.

Jim and Dan will be taking over tomorrow and it is going to be awesome!

I Am Blessed 24 · Aug 31, 2003

DAILY DEVOTIONAL SUNDAY AUGUST 31, 2003
(Deuteronomy 7:8, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4,5)

You are special!!!!

This is a very short and simple word for YOU today, but powerful in its truth! Many days we get so consumed with our lives that we lose sight of just how special we are. Life is filled with many problems, and because of those problems, we sometimes get down and blame ourselves.

Not a day goes by that we don't fail in some way, and so many people tend to live in self-condemnation. Let me encourage you today that
God created you in His own image and made each person uniquely different. No matter what you are going through, what you may have done, God still loves you and in His eyes, YOU ARE SPECIAL!!!!!

Forgiving others can be very difficult, especially when they have hurt us in some way. However, just as difficult, even more so, is forgiving ourselves!

The Bible tell us that we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory. There are no perfect people. But our God is ready to forgive us and cleanse us from all our sin if we will simply confess our sins to Him and repent.

My friend, you cannot change what has already been done, but you have total control over what you will do from this point forward.

I pray that this day, you will find freedom in the fact that you are special and God loves you. What may have happened in your life before is behind you.

You need to stand on God's promise that if you are willing to confess those past sins and ask His forgiveness, He will forgive you and give you a fresh slate.

If our God is willing to forgive you, then isn't it time you forgive yourself? Let today be the first day in your knowledge that you are special. God has a plan and purpose for your life. Go forward to accomplish His plan for your life knowing that you are His child and He
loves you unconditionally.

No matter what anyone may tell you, YOU ARE SPECIAL. Special to me, but more important, special to God. HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH! I don't care what you are facing today, what the issues
may be, take a few moments out of your day and just reflect on the FACT that in God's eyes...YOU ARE SPECIAL!!!

In His love and service,
Bill Keller

Barnabas H. · Aug 31, 2003

Thanks Sue for a job well done!

I Am Blessed 24 · Aug 31, 2003

Thank you Barnabas and ALL of you for the kind words.

I am glad to be of service whenever I am needed.

§ue

dianetavegia · Aug 31, 2003

Sue, I've enjoyed these writings by Bill Keller so much that I signed up for them! Thank you for sharing these and sharing your time! Dan and Jim were blessed to have such a special lady ready and willing to fill in! We love you!

Diane

Jim1999 · Sep 1, 2003

Monday, September 1, 2003.

As a preamble to this devotional, I want to say that Sue and Dan have done a yeoman service despite their busy lives. Thank you.

At the request of brother Barnabas, Dan and I will alternate writing a morning devotional. May the Lord bless us all as we drink of the milk of God's kindness.

Ezra 1

Ezra and Nehemiah covers the last years of Jewish Old Testament history. The author is unknown, but it appears clear the personal memoirs of Ezra and Nehemiah come into play.

Ezra opens with a Persian king acknowledging the place of God in history. He also became a friend of the Jews. Quite the thing considering this is the Iran of to-day.

This king says that all the kingdoms have been given to him by the Lord. Not only where the kingdoms given, but he was instructed to build a house at Jerusalem.

The former king, banished God's people; the new King repatriates them. He not only brings the people back, but plans to build them an house.
The world may banish us from their presence, exclude us from their parties, but the Lord will repatriate us and build us an house in the bargain. "Know you not that your body is a temple...?" The Lord has already built our house. It is this temple, our body. How abusive can we be of this temple. The things we say, the things we do, or conversely, the things we don't do.

This good Persian king is planning to do the right thing. There is a condition laid upon these selected builders. "Who is there among you?..." First, he calls for the volunteers. The King wants the willing. Then he sets the second condition, "his God be with him..." He must be qualified; filled with God and on fire, prepared to labour for the King. The building has been designed, it is a church. There are many noble causes in the world to-day, and they are to be commended. There is one task at hand, however, to which the King is calling us, and repatriating us to His kingdom, to build His church.

In this passage (Ezra 1:4) we have the goers and the supporters. If you can't go; support. We can all be missionaries; either we go to the field, or we help send to the field with our gifts, our prayers, our support even if it only be a word of kindness.

As we say when we receive a new believer, "Many have come, but there's still room for one..There is room at the cross for thee...." Many went up to Jerusalem, but not as many as we may think. There will always be that remnant who are faithful to Christ. So, don't be discouraged in the Lord's work because one in Christ is a majority. One changed king restored Israel, and one soul in love with the king can change a universe.

Cheers,

Jim

I Am Blessed 24 · Sep 1, 2003

Excellent Jim!

We must be ever mindful of the fact that we need to be about our Father's business.

"Many have come, but there's still room for one..There is room at the cross for thee...."
Click to expand...

Everytime our Pastor baptizes a new believer, he always says this verse:

"And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room."
Luke 14:22

Barnabas H. · Sep 1, 2003

A good start Brother Jim! Thanks for coming back and doing what you like best.

Dan Todd · Sep 1, 2003

September 2

Romans 9:32-33, “For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

The “Stumbling Stone” that we have been studying, the “Stumbling Stone” that the Jews rejected, the “Stumbling Stone” that was and is a great offense, has become the “Capstone of Biblical Religion.”

Psalm 118:22, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”

There is a two-thousand-year-old tradition that has been passed down from the time of the building of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. In order that there be no noise at the temple site, the stones for Solomon’s temple were quarried away from the temple site. The temple architects supplied the plans, the stone cutters shaped the stones, and they were transported to the temple site and assembled there without the noise of stone cutting tools. Early in the construction, a stone was sent that did not seem to fit anywhere in the temple. Because the builders did not know what to do with it, they laid it aside and forgot about it. When the temple was nearly completed, and the builders were ready to place the large capstone, they sent to the quarry for it. The word came back that the capstone was not there, it had already been sent up. The builders searched the temple site, and eventually found the stone that had been laid aside. When it was lifted into its proper place, it fit perfectly.

So, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”

Jesus quoted from Psalm 118 when he was speaking to the religious leaders who sought for reasons to arrest Him. Jesus had told two stories which exposed the religious leaders hardhearted rejection of Him. Both stories are found in Matthew 21. In the first, the religious leaders were portrayed as a son who said he would work in his father’s vineyard, but did not. In the second, the religious leaders were portrayed as wicked tenants of a rich man’s field, who plotted to steal the field, and later killed the heir. When Jesus concluded these storied He said, “Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” (Matthew 21:42).

Peter quoted the same verse when he and John were on trial before the Sanhedrin following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Peter told the religious leaders, “ Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.” (Acts 4:10-11).

Paul quoted Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16 in our text in Romans. Jesus and Peter both quoted Psalm 118:22 in Matthew 21:42 and Acts 4:11. I ask you to turn your attention to 1 Peter 2:4-8, where “Peter draws all three [N.T.] texts together to show how those who believe on Jesus build their lives on Him and are made part of a spiritual temple, the church, which God is constructing.” (Boice)

“To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture,

Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone,
elect, precious:
and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded.

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:
but unto them which be disobedient,

the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offence,

even to them which stumble at the word,
being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” (1 Peter 2:4-8)

“In view of this passage, I cannot see how anyone can imagine that when Jesus told Peter that ‘thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ (Matthew 16:18), He was teaching that Peter was to be the foundation on which He would build His church. The errors of the supremacy of the Roman pontiff and the infallibility of the pope when speaking ex cathedra are constructed on this text. But these are terrible errors, and they are certainly not what Peter himself understood the Lord’s words to mean.” (Boice)

Next time we will consider our Lord’s play on words in Matthew 16:18.

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

following-Him · Sep 2, 2003

Thank you Dan, I found that most helpful and also thank you Jim for yesterday's devotion. We are truly blessed here.

Blessings

Sheila

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