WEEKLY DEVOTIONS

Vol 22  Num 17   May4, 2011

By Rev Mike Jones

Greetings in the Name of Christ,

Easter Sunday we had 487 in attendance at Lebanon. Last Sunday we collected a spontaneous offering of over $10,000 to help buy land for Andy Moore in Brazil. I wonder what will happen this Sunday? I will be teaching Brother AC Allen’s Life Group Class.

How do you respond if a registered sex offender or a homosexual couple wants to attend your Church? I will be covering this and similar subjects as part of “The Pastor and Moral Issues” at the True Life Conference Minister’s Meeting May 27th. We will also look at “The Pastor and Growth” (15 questions that will transform your church), “The Pastor and Finances” (Is it really more religious to be poor?), and “The Pastor and Family” (Why none of the answers you have been getting or giving are working- remember, the divorce rate in the church is more than the divorce rate outside the church). Please pray for me as I prepare for this important meeting.

Happy Mother’s Day. If you are still able to spend time with your Mother then hug her neck and whisper in her ear, “You really are the best mom in the world”. Make sure you worship together in Church this week.

Mike ps 16:11

Rev Mike Jones
2434 Allen Road
Effingham, SC 29541
Mike@scfwb.com
(843) 687-4823
www.scfriendsofindia.com
www.ministerministry.com
www.scfwb.com

Mike Jones Schedule:

Sun, May 8- Teach A C Allen Life Group Class- 9:30am
Friday – Saturday, May  27-28: True Life Minister’s Retreat at Rock Hill, SC
Sunday- June 19. AM and PM Service at Immanuel FWBC
Sunday- July 10  AM and PM Service at Immanuel FWBC

These devotional Articles were published in the Lake City Shopper, the Lake City News and Post, and The Examiner (Hugo, OK) as well as in other South Carolina Newspapers. Permission is given to use them for non profit purposes.

Lessons for Living for Tuesday, May 3, 2011

GUIDANCE GUIDELINES

            Everyone has some “core values” guidelines that govern their conduct. Here are a few Guidelines given to me by my Mother (and Father) that have helped shape me into what I am today.

  1. Obey your Parents- My family seldom attended Church until I became a Christian at age 14 so my parents did not teach me this as a religious principle. They did however teach me “religiously” that as long as I put my feet under their table then I would obey their orders! My Parents believed in “my way or the highway” long before it became a popular slogan.
  2. Your Friends define you- We did not know “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful” (Psalms 1:1); but we did know “if you lay down with dogs then you will get up with fleas”.
  3. You are responsible for your actions- “If you make your bed hard then you will have to lie in it” was Mom’s way of saying, “They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same”. (Job 4:8).
  4. Give and Expect Respect- We learned you do not have to be rich or famous in order to treat others the same way you want to be treated.
  5. Family is more important than fortune- Dad did not make much money and Mother thought her time with her children was more important than the things a job would purchase for them so we lived in a converted barn, raised a garden, and enjoyed life better than most people around us.

You can let TV, video games, and the latest electronic gadgets define your child or you can give them eternal core values. One way or the other something will guide their life.

Minister Message for Wednesday, May 4, 2011

MOTHERS

There are many famous mothers in the Bible. Eve was the mother of all living people (Gen 3:20). Mary was the mother of the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Sarah became a mother for the first time when she was past ninety (Gen 17:17). Rebekah was a mother who had two nations struggling in her womb (Gen 25:21-23). Hannah was a mother who loaned her first child to God before He was born (1Sam 1:26-28).

There are other mothers who are famous for the wrong reasons. The two cannibal mothers who ate one of their children and then quarreled about eating the remaining child (2Kings 6:26-29). The king’s mother who counseled him to do wrong so that he suffered God’s wrath upon himself and the nation (2Chronicles 22:2-3).  Lot’s wife who is a perpetual monument to the cost of disobeying God (Gen 19:26, Luke 17:32).

Most people (thankfully) do not consider that the reason they exist today is because their mother rolled around in sweaty sheets with their dad as lovers as a prelude to the sweet mother she is today! To most people a mother is someone who could kiss a hurt away, always make sure you were fed and clothed, and be there for you in all of life’s struggles. In many people’s minds the title “Mother” exempts her from being a person with problems and heart aches all her own.

The Bible exposes Mothers in their glory and in their shame. God wanted us to know that sometimes Mothers need mercy and forgiveness just as much as they need adoration and praise. This Mother’s Day, instead of just telling your Mother she is great and then asking for another serving of ham why don’t you pray for her and love her as a person as well as a mom.

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