______________*****In nEeD Of MuSiC*****_____________

Monday, February 06, 2006

Passion for the House of God

When this happened the followers of Jesus remembered what was written {in the Scriptures }: "My excitement for your house will destroy me." -- John 2:17 (ERV)

KEY THOUGHT:What are your passions? Are your passions for the "House of God," God'sholy Temple? If we follow the mock trial of Jesus, the false basis ofhis execution was rooted in this event; he was accused of blasphemingthe Temple. Of course, we know that was not true. Jesus was "done in"by his holy passion for God's things, God's business, and God's house.So let me ask you again, what is your passion? Life without passion isflat and boring. Life with the wrong passions is dissipated ondestructive pursuits. But when life is built around godly passions, itleaves a permanent impact. What's your passion?

TODAY'S PRAYER:Father, give me a more fervent passion for your people, your work, andyour Kingdom. Through your Holy Spirit, stoke the fires of my heart tolive with a holy passion for your things. In Jesus' name. Amen.

January 2, 2006A Fresh StartMicca Monda CampbellDirector of Outreach, Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member

Key Verse:Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (NAS).

Devotion: With every New Year comes the opportunity for a new beginning. Most people make a fresh start by setting a "New Year's Resolution." Through this tradition, we can recommit to a healthier lifestyle, put away bad habits, turn over a new leaf and reorganize our lives. Whatever the need, it can be done by putting the past year behind us and beginning anew. Or so we believe.We usually start out with grand visions, impressive goals and pure determination. Only to realize a short time later how difficult it is to carry out such extensive goals when our motivation is squashed by all the other duties of life. Instead of moving forward we remain as we are-unchanged. With each passing day, week, and month, we become less convicted, less motivated, and less excited about our desire to be all that we should and long to be. While these results can greatly affect all areas of our lives, they mostly affect us spiritually. Good health and a balanced life are important, but temporal. How we grow and improve spiritually will last for all eternity and should be our highest priority. However, while some people spend hours planning for a vacation or spend years of education planning for a career, most don't spend five minutes planning for eternity. How does looking to the future help us accomplish our goals for today?
Because the secret to success in everything we do lies in the depth of our relationship to God. Temporal failures occur in our lives because we are not first spiritually equipped.I once heard a story about a woman who asked her pastor to pray for her to have enough will power to give up a bad habit.
The pastor answered, "No, I won't pray for you." The woman was astounded. "Why not?" she asked."It wouldn't do any good," the pastor replied. "You'll only give up the bad habit when you love God and your relationship with Him more than your habit."Where do we find the power to overcome bad habits? We are set free when we love God more than our sin.Whether our goal this year is to lose weight, quit smoking or better organize our lives, we will only succeed if we are first spiritually strong. That is because every problem we have is ultimately a spiritual problem. Once dealt with by the power and grace of God, victory will be ours. Do you need a fresh start? You'll find it by making God and your relationship with Him your first goal.

My Prayer for Today:Dear Lord, help me die to all things that I put in place of You. Create in me a love and passion for You alone that will help me let go of temporary pleasures. I believe that You want to fill my every empty place with Your presence. I'm ready for You to fill me now. I believe that You are enough for me. Make this truth a reality in my life. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

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