From: takeaminute+noreply@googlegroups.com
Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:27:27 +0000
Subject: Take a Minute Digest for takeaminute@googlegroups.com - 1
Message in 1 Topic
To: Digest Recipients <takeaminute+digest@googlegroups.com>
=============================================================================
Today's Topic Summary
=============================================================================
Group: takeaminute@googlegroups.com
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute/topics
- -- Friday, 7/9/10 -- HE'S IN THE WORLD, NOT OF IT -- Judges 3:5-7 [1 Update]
http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute/t/1d2983d89b80b6f2
=============================================================================
Topic: -- Friday, 7/9/10 -- HE'S IN THE WORLD, NOT OF IT -- Judges 3:5-7
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute/t/1d2983d89b80b6f2
=============================================================================
---------- 1 of 1 ----------
From: "J.R. & Bonnie Ricks" <j-r-and-bonnie@dogwoodministries.org>
Date: Jul 08 05:53PM -0500
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute/msg/89d3eb2d229f2e7e
Take a Minute is a daily devotional ministry of
Dogwood Ministries, Inc.
If you need prayer. contact our partners in ministry.
SJ Ministries - Ministry of Prayer <http://sjministries.co.uk/>
Or simply send your request to SJMinistries@aol.com
All other requests, please see the end of the devotional
for Dogwood Ministries addresses
Dear Subscribers,
Please note the weekly budget report at the end of today's devotional.
Thanks now and in advance for those who are able to help this month!
God bless you all!
Bonnie & J.R.
HE'S IN THE WORLD, NOT OF IT -- Judges 3:5-7 NIV
The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Hivites and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their
own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their
God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
The people of Israel found out the hard way that relationships affect faith.
The Canaanites were attractive people, especially the women. So the
Israelites brought these beautiful women into their homes, marrying their
sons to them. With these women came their pagan religions. The Israelites
didn't want to seem like uptight religious fanatics, so they allowed the
pagan idols to be brought into their homes. After all, THEY weren't going
to worship these idols. They just wanted to seem open and friendly and
democratic, right? They wanted to be part of the crowd. They didn't want
to be looked upon as that nerdy bunch of Jews. Besides, maybe if they were
more relaxed they might lead some of these pagans to believe in God. But
look what happened. instead of the Israelites leading the Canaanites to
believe in the one true God, the Canaanites and their pagan religions
dragged the Israelites down to their level.
Sound familiar? How many of us become friends with non-Christians and then
find that, instead of leading that person to Christ as we thought would
happen in the beginning, that person leads us into greater and greater sin?
It happens over and over again. Why? We've said it before - sin is fun!
Or at least it looks that way on the front end. And it's a lot easier to
sin most of the time than it is to keep from sinning. So when we become
friends with non-Christians, it's a lot easier to do things their way than
be branded as religious fanatics or Jesus freaks. Being ostracized (at
worst) or teased (at best) is no fun. It's only natural to want to be part
of the crowd. Teenagers aren't the only ones with peer pressure problems.
Adults of every age run into the same issues.
Does this mean we should avoid being friends with non-Christians? Casual
friends. no! Intimate friends. YES! Our casual friendships with
non-Christians are our primary route to witnessing to people. How are we
going to spread the Good News if the only people we associate with already
know it? But in associating with non-believers, we must keep our
relationships on a totally casual basis, and save our true "fellowshipping"
for our believing friends.
At the same time, you and I have to be continually on our guard. We have
to be devoted to prayer and study and quiet time and church fellowship.
These are our spiritual "vitamins" and "exercise." If we keep our spiritual
lives well fed and healthy, we can withstand the onslaught of temptations
that we'll face in our relationships with non-believers. We can be in the
world, but not of it.
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain
from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives
among the pagans that, through they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see
your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:11-12
NIV
July Budget Report
Dogwood Ministries Monthly Budget: $1,500.00
Received as of 7/9/10: $205.00
Balance needed: $1,295.00
To make a donation, go to www.paypal.com <http://www.paypal.com/>
Click on "Send Money" and address your gift to
j-r-and-bonnie@dogwoodministries.org
If you prefer snail mail, contact us for address.
REMINDER: Dogwood Ministries, Inc. is a U.S. 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
religious corporation. All U.S. donations are tax deductible.
Thank you for your support!
God bless you all!
--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~-
-
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"TakeAMinute" group.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
takeaminute-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/takeaminute
General correspondence or to subscribe to Take a Minute:
J-R-and-Bonnie@dogwoodministries.org
Donations to Dogwood Ministries: http://www.dogwoodministries.org
<http://www.dogwoodministries.org/>
--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~-
-
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
takeaminute+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the
words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
takeaminute+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the
words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
No comments:
Post a Comment