Bible Study Cafe Blog: Voting

Monday, November 1, 2010

Day 39--Faith, Not Fear: TO AND FRO

CLICK HERE for a printer-friendly PDF file of this devotional.
You can find links to each devotional on our Web site.

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Welcome to Day 39 of our Bible based, Christ focused devotional.

Purpose: With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional which would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear.

Each devotional will provide a daily passage of Scripture for you to reflect on throughout the day. In addition, an “Action Item” will assign a daily, simple task to help you address your fears with faith and move forward with God's plans for you.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional--please share it with others!

Steve Kendall

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DAY 39: TO AND FRO

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE FOR REFLECTION:

¹⁴That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

¹⁶From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:14-16 (King James Version)

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OPENING PRAYER: In your opening prayer, in addition to anything else you want to pray about, ask God to put you in places and situations where you can tell others about what Jesus has done for you. (My pastor, Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, says this at the end of each sermon and I’m glad he does so as it reminds believers of their obligation to share Christ with others.)

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To and Fro

When we are faced with problems, sometimes our guard is down when it comes to reason.

We tend to flock to the latest thing that we think will quickly solve our problems, or make us feel better.

I pray that when folks vote this Tuesday, they will pray first before making a decision based on raw emotion, anger and/or fear.

I also pray for our nation and the world at large. The worldwide economic recession may just be the beginning of hard times to come as foretold in the Bible.

Politicians may offer quick fixes, but only God can truly provide the help, comfort and peace we need to navigate the storms of life.

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ACTION ITEM: Research candidates and issues that will be on the ballot in your area this Tuesday. Pray for guidance about your voting decision.

Also pray that the Holy Spirit will guide and help you to deal with your problems and ask Him to be of comfort to those on your prayer list.

Until tomorrow, have a blessed day!

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CLOSING PRAYER: For the remainder of our devotions, please pray about whatever the Lord places in your heart and mind. I also ask that you pray for me as well. I pray daily for everyone who comes in contact with these devotions and feel blessed as a result.

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STAY IN TOUCH: You are cordially invited to share how things are going with you and our devotions thus far. I welcome comments and suggestions as well. You can reach me via Facebook or my personal email address: Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com

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FREE STUFF FOR YOU!

Stop by sometime soon to visit my ministry Web site, Bible Study Café, and download free stuff including a prayer journal. Join Bible Study Café on Facebook and follow my twitches and tweets on Twitter.

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A TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

If you would like a relationship with God, the only way to do it is through His son, Jesus Christ. This is supported in the Bible: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. --John 14:6 (King James Version)

We begin this relationship by first accepting Jesus. Click Here for a link to more info.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Day 33--Faith, Not Fear: DISCERNMENT

October is breast cancer awareness month.

To read and see inspirational stories about breast cancer survivors, check out my other blog, Recession Resurrection.

You can learn more about early breast cancer detection, treatment options, and how you can get involved, at the American Cancer Society site:

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/news/Features/what-you-can-do-about-breast-cancer

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CLICK HERE for a printer-friendly PDF file of this devotional.
You can find links to each devotional on our Web site.
-------------------------------

Welcome to Day 33 of our Bible based, Christ focused devotional.

Purpose: With so many people suffering during these tough economic times, I wanted to create a daily devotional which would promote faith in God as a solution to overcoming anger and fear.

Thank you and God bless you for reading this devotional--please share it with others!

Steve Kendall
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DAY 33: DISCERNMENT

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE FOR REFLECTION:

For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6 (New International Version)

OPENING PRAYER: In your opening prayer, in addition to anything else you want to pray about, ask God to provide you with the wisdom to make thoughtful, correct decisions.

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Discernment: the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure. Synonyms: wisdom, insight, perception, perceptiveness (Source: Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary).

I often pray for God to help me discern that which is true and how I should go about making major decisions—especially when it comes to voting.

Today I submitted my absentee ballot forms via fax. I usually don’t wait until the last minute to do this, but I’ve been sick, busy and quite frankly, turned off by all the negative campaign ads.

There was a time when candidates would air ads discussing their record, or their plans, but in today’s world, we usually get ads that tear down the opponent.

No one should EVER make a decision about voting based on a TV ad. I should know because I was a video editor of numerous political ads back in the 1980s. Politicians and their handlers will often distort the truth in ads in an effort to prey on your fears and problems. The goal is stir a knee jerk reaction in the voter. They often want to get you angry about an issue, or candidate without offering any facts.

Praying for discernment will help us to rely on our faith in God to guide our decisions, not TV ads.

With the election just one week away, my prayer is that everyone pray before voting.