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Pastimes : Ask and You Shall Receive -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (5852)	8/20/2004 4:57:34 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14396

01 August Our Helper in Prayer Romans 8:26-28 Have you ever been in such turmoil or pain that you dropped to your knees but couldn't form words to pray? Perhaps you were too hurt to speak, or you were so perplexed by the situation that you were unsure what kind of relief to request. All you knew to do was groan, "Oh, Lord. Help!" Our heavenly Father knows that times of turbulence and confusion assail us. His Holy Spirit—who guides us in our prayer life—intercedes for us in those circumstances. The distress we experience might be physical or emotional, but it can sometimes be so overwhelming that we do not want to pray. The physiological response of the human body to painful stimuli is diminished concentration. Whether we are lacking words or focus, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit steps in to speak for us with "groanings too deep for words." (Romans 8:26) Those cries of "Help!" are being heard. Occasionally, our call for aid is to sort out confounding situations. There might be two or three alternatives that all seem equally weighted. We may not even know which of them we would prefer; maybe each possibility looks equally bad from our limited perspective. So, we groan in our spirit, "Lord, show me the truth. Don't let me make a mistake." The Holy Spirit is perfectly interpreting our feelings as He lifts them to the Father. Our confusion is changed to clarity by the One who searches our hearts and knows the mind of God. (Romans 8:27) Trust the Spirit of God, who is imparted to you as a Helper. intouch.org

To: calgal who wrote (5852)	8/20/2004 5:02:09 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

06 August Things That Cannot Be Shaken Hebrews 12:25-29 URL:http://www.intouch.org/intouch/site.show_page?p_id=76096&p_devotional_date=08%2F06%2F2004 Television news is often filled with interviews and images of people who have suffered some unimaginable tragedy. One day we're shown tornado survivors whose homes were torn apart by winds. Another day we may see massive floods sweeping through an unsuspecting neighborhood. Occasionally, we even view homes that are swallowed whole by terrible earthquakes. The expressions on the faces of those who have suffered loss can be haunting. Such losses always draw our attention toward the fragility of those things we hold most dear . . . our homes, families, and careers, for example. We seldom like these "wake-up calls" that remind us of the inherent instability of earthly life. In a world that is shaking apart, believers in Jesus Christ have the privilege of sharing the best news imaginable: there is something that is stable, something that is completely secure. There is a rock on which we are able to stand, and it cannot be shaken. That unshakable foundation, of course, is almighty God. The Lord gives us other immovable truths as well. We can trust that Scripture is His unchanging, always-relevant truth for all time. We can depend on a secure, eternal relationship with Him through His Son. And we can be sure that a heavenly home awaits all those who place their faith in Christ. We can have stability, even in this unstable world. Who in your life needs this life-saving Good News? Who is drowning around you, desperately needing you to throw a lifeline? Don't wait; do it today.

To: calgal who wrote (5852)	8/20/2004 5:02:22 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

07 August Suffering a Faith Failure Numbers 13-14 When you hear the term "faith failure," what comes to mind? If you are like most people, the expression immediately drums up uncomfortable thoughts of a spiritual blemish on your Christian walk. Try as we might, however, we simply cannot or will not go through this life without failing from time to time. Most troubling to Christians are those instances when we allow other factors to get in the way of what we know God is telling us. Can you remember a time when you knew the Lord wanted you to do something, but for some reason, you decided upon a different course of action? When we allow anything to short-circuit our obedience to the heavenly Father, we can be certain that we have just had a faith failure. One of the key reasons for spiritual missteps is the simple issue of fear. Now, we never have to be afraid of losing our salvation once we are secure in Christ; rather, what I'm talking about here is the fear of failure. We simply do not want to fail in the challenge that God sets before us. Therefore, instead of meeting the call head-on, we run and hide. In our minds, it is better not even to bother trying than to try and fail. Is that the attitude God desires? No! He has not called us to a spirit of fear; He desires boldness and veracity in our faith. Don't bow down to the idol of fear. The God who calls you is strong enough to keep you. He will never assign you to a task that He has not already empowered you to achieve. URL:http://www.intouch.org/intouch/site.show_page?p_id=76096&p_devotional_date=08%2F07%2F2004

To: calgal who wrote (5852)	8/20/2004 5:02:35 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

09 August Thinking Our Way to Success COLOSSIANS 3:1-4 God wants us to be a success in our Christian life. He defines success as becoming the person that He wants us to be and accomplishing the goals that He has set for our lives. God's Word tells us that godly achievement starts with our thinking. (Proverbs 23:7 KJV) This is true because the Lord has designed our mind to be a powerful tool that impacts our attitudes and actions, both toward Him and toward others. The godliness of our minds determines to a large degree the godliness of our lives. Colossians 1:21 tells us that prior to our salvation, we were alienated and hostile in mind toward the things of God. In other words, the old way of thinking is of no value in helping us to become the person God wants each of us to be. That is why Scripture calls for spiritual renewal of our thoughts and attitudes (Ephesians 4:23) and instructs what to eliminate and what to add to our minds. (Ephesians 4:31-32) Hostile thinking is to be replaced by the truth of the Word. Reasoning God's way means to "set our minds" on the things of God. Every day, we are to choose to have the Lord's viewpoint; we must also reject any thinking that leads to conformity with the ways of the world. (Romans 12:2) When we fix our attention on who God is, on His plan for us, and on how to please Him, we will start having His perspective. In order for us to be successful in the kingdom of God, "kingdom" thinking is essential. On what will you focus your thoughts today? URL:http://www.intouch.org/intouch/site.show_page?p_id=76096&p_devotional_date=08%2F09%2F2004

To: calgal who wrote (5852)	8/20/2004 5:02:47 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

10 August Thinking Our Way to Success COLOSSIANS 3:5-10 Thinking God's way does not come easily to us because it is often contrary to the world's perspective. The world says, "Fight for your rights—don't let anyone push you around." But Jesus teaches that it is the merciful, the meek, and the peacemakers who are successful in God's kingdom. (Matthew 5:5-9) The world holds material prosperity and personal comfort as measures of success. Scripture says we are successful when we become more like Jesus and follow God's plan. As we learned yesterday, success starts with our thinking. Picture your mind as a mini-computer with the role of "command central." It regulates your attitudes and actions, directing how to respond in different situations and indicating whether you should persist or give up—the mind identifies what is important based on the values and priorities stored in it. Our responsibility as Christ-followers is to feed our minds with a steady diet of God's Word. Only scriptural truth can counter the continuous stream of ungodly data that enters our thinking. Another responsibility is to screen what we allow to enter our minds. The Bible gives us the standard by which to evaluate the acceptability of ideas and attitudes we encounter. (Philippians 4:8) By choosing to meditate on Scripture, applying it to our lives, and following God's standard for our thinking, we will live in a way that pleases the Father. We will become the people He planned us to be and accomplish His purposes for us. Now that is real success! URL:http://www.intouch.org/intouch/site.show_page?p_id=76096&p_devotional_date=08%2F10%2F2004