An Attitude of Gradtitude

In a personal note below, I mentioned how God has been faithfully meeting our needs here on the campgrounds.  I have decided for the next seven days I will not ask God for anything, but simply give him praise for all he has done.  I will live my life with an attitude of gratitude this coming week, for I am truly grateful for how he continues to supply all our needs...not just physical ones, but mental and emotional as well.  He is greatly to be praised.  


Here are the words that stood out to me this past week in my daily devotional reading:


The Word for You Today
1.  "Do Not Be Afraid"

• I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Or Lord, make me dwell in safety.  (Ps 4:8)

2.  "Expect Good Things from God"

• your prayer may not be answered when or how you think it should be, but God will answer in the way that is best for you -- just trust him.

Personal Note

After many weeks of asking God each week for a specific amount needed to pay the bills and payroll and taxes...and seeing him do that...I still had fears and doubts He would.  This past weekend I was praying for $15,000 - the sum needed to cover payroll and bills this week.  Monday in the mail came a check for $14,300 and three small checks.  Combining them with 4-5 checks received on Saturday in the mail, my deposit was over $15,000.  Praise the Lord!  I felt him showing me he hears my prayers, he knows the camp needs, and he will supply!  I must always trust him!!

3.  "What God Expects from You - Faith"

• Without faith it is impossible to please him.  (Heb 11:6)
• narcissism is the worship of our own intellect; we believe in ourselves, not in God.
• only when life hands us a problem we can't solve do we realize our desperate need for God.
• it is the strength of our faith in God that will bring us through.

4.  "Grace"

• "When you operate in the freedom that comes with grace, you're okay letting other people chart their own course and make decisions you may not make."

5.  "Conformed or Transformed"

• you must crucify the flesh whenever it wants to take over and lead you away from your spiritual commitment
• God's holy Spirit will indwell you and give you strength to resist the world's pressure to conform
• when you give in to your temptations, sin results, but when you surrender to God, he will bless you
• surrender is an act of worship that should occur 24/7 - all the time
• repentance is a response to the love of God and obedience is a response to His promises
• decide to NOT conform to the world and be enslaved by its influences, but choose to be transformed by the indwelling guidance of the Holy Spirit
• make the commitment to renew your mind to have the attitude of Christ Jesus and transformation will occur day by day

Ezekiel

• For the good works of a righteous man will not save him if he turns to sin, and the sins of an evil man will not destroy him if he repents and turns from his sins.  (33:12)

Hebrews

• Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.  
• Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor.  He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God.
• If you want to keep from being fainthearted and weary, think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to him.  After all, you have never yet struggled against sin and temptation until you sweat great drops of blood.  (12:1-4)
• God's correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share his holiness.  Being punished isn't enjoyable while it is happening--it hurts!  But afterward we can see the results of a quiet growth in grace and character.  (12:10-11)
• Try to stay out of all quarrels and seek to live a clean and holy life; for one who is not holy will not see the Lord.  (12:14)
• Since we have a kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts, and with holy fear and awe.  For our God is a consuming fire.  (12:28-29)
• Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have.  For God has said, "I will never, never fail you nor forsake you."  That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, "The Lord is my Helper and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me." (13:4-6)

James

• A Christian who doesn't amount to much in this world should be glad, for he is great in the Lord's sight.  (1:9)
• Happy is the man who doesn't give in and do wrong when tempted, for afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life God has promised those who love him.  (1:12)
• Dear brothers, don't ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry, for anger doesn't make us good, as God demands that we must be.  (1:19-20)
• Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith.  (2:20)
• If you are wise, live a life of steady goodness, so that only good deeds will pour forth.  (3:13)
• But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness.  Then it is peace loving and courteous..  It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others; it is full of mercy and good deeds.  It is wholehearted and straightforward and sincere.  And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.  (3:15-18)
• Don't you realize that making friends with God's enemies---the evil pleasures of this world---makes you an enemy of God?  I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy the evil pleasure of the unsaved world, you cannot also be a friend of God.  (4:4)
• But he gives us more and more strength to stand against all such evil longings.  As the scripture says, God gives strength to the humble, but sets himself against the proud and haughty. So give yourselves humbly to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you. (4:6-7)
• Don't criticize and speak evil about each other, dear brothers.  If you do, you will be fighting against God's law of loving one another, declaring it is wrong.  But your job is not to decide whether this law is right or wrong, but to obey it.  Only he who made the law can rightly judge among us.  He alone decides to save us or destroy.  So what right do you have to judge or criticize others?  (4:11-12)
• Remember, too, that knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin.  (4:17)

Psalm

• In my distress I prayed to the Lord and he answered me and rescued me.  He is for me!  How can I be afraid?  What can mere man do to me?  The Lord is on my side, he will help me.  (118:5-6)
• This is the day the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.  (118:24)

Proverbs

• When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily; but with honest, sensible leaders there is stability.  ((28:2)
• To obey the law is to fight evil.  (28:4)