GOOD MORNING INDIA
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Devotional - Detesting Lies
Posted by Peter
Kennedy on Tuesday
Apr 14, 2020, under DEVOTIONS
IN PROVERBS
“The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” – Proverbs 12:22
In 2004, Brian Williams became the anchor for the NBC Nightly News. He was the trusted face of news for over a decade. Then on January 30, 2015, he reported on the broadcast that in 2003, he was flying in Iraq on a military helicopter when it was “forced down after being hit by an RPG”.
Soon after it aired, Lance Reynolds criticized Williams’ story. Reynolds was a flight engineer on board one of the three Chinook helicopters that had been attacked. Reynolds and other crew members said Williams had been aboard one of a separate group of helicopters from the helicopter that had been fired upon, which was flying about half an hour behind and was forced to make an emergency landing because of a sandstorm rather than an attack.
Additional soldiers soon came forward both to confirm that Williams was not in the group of helicopters one of which had come under fire, and to express their hurt that Williams had inserted himself into the event.
On February 4, 2015, Williams apologized for and recanted his disproven Iraq War story and was demoted from news anchor.
Lies are in direct conflict with the Truth. Today in prayer, confess any lies to the Lord and seek to be a person of integrity who walks in the truth.
“White lies are non-existent, for a lie is wholly a lie; falsehood is the personification of evil; Satan has two names; he is called Satan, and he is called the Father of Lies.” – Victor Hugo
“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” – Proverbs 6:16-19
Yours to count on to see India is evangelized in our lifetime. No one can do it alone. But together...we can do it. Let us do it... together...now,
p g vargis and team
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“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” – Proverbs 3:9-10
Jerry Caven was a science teacher when he began to manage a McDonald's restaurant in Idaho. He was extremely successful and he went on to own a restaurant chain, two banks, a ranch, a farm, and he had numerous real estate ventures. At age 59, Jerry was searching for a nice lakeside retirement home. But the Lord, His Owner, had other plans.
"God led us to put our money and time overseas," Jerry said. "It's been exciting. Before, we gave token amounts. Now we put substantial money into missions. We often go to India." When asked what changed the Cavens' attitudes toward giving, the answer came quickly: "Once we understood that we were giving away God's money to do God's work, we discovered peace and joy we never had back when we thought it was our money!"
The Lord asks us to be a good steward of the money and goods He has entrusted to you. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for all that He has given you and seek to bless others with what you have been given.
“Feel for others - in your pocket.” - Charles H. Spurgeon
God’s Word: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.” – Malachi 3:8
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“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” – Proverbs 28:13
On May 7, 1990, in the woods behind Galloway Township’s Clubs Condominiums, in New Jersey, Steven Goff stabbed his 15-year-old friend Frederick “Ricky” Hart to death. The boys had been involved in a series of robberies and a fight between the two erupted. Goff left the teen there and never went back. He kept his secret for 23 years.
But in 2013, Goff, who was raised Roman Catholic, re-affirmed his faith. The guilt of murder became “overwhelming”.
In April 2013, after five sleepless nights, Goff walked into a police station and began detailing the crime. The case was definitely cold, it took three hours to find any paperwork of the murder.
That night, in a jail cell, Goff slept well for the first time in a long while. The relief was powerful though he said: “I’m going to suffer the rest of my life for this, as well I should.”
The best thing you can do with sin is to confess it and forsake it. Today in prayer, confess any sin in your life to the Lord. Draw close to Him and receive His gift of mercy.
“A man should never be ashamed to own he has been wrong, which is but saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.” – Alexander Pope
God’s Word: “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” – Psalm 32:3-5
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“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy” – Philippians 1:4
Tedd Kidd was five years older than Janet, finished college before her, and started to work in a city hundreds of miles from her. They always seemed to be at different places in their lives. But they had been dating for seven years.
Every Valentine's Day, Tedd proposed to her. Every Valentine's Day, Janet would say, "No, not yet."
Finally, when they were both living in Dallas, Texas, Tedd reached the end of his patience. He bought a ring, took Janet to a romantic restaurant, and was prepared to reinforce his proposal with the diamond. Another no would mean he had to get on with his life without her.
After the salad, entree, and dessert, it was time. Tedd summoned up his courage. Knowing that Janet had a gift for him, however, he decided to wait. "What did you bring me?" he asked. She handed him a box the size of a book. He opened the package and slowly peeled away the tissue paper. It was a cross-stitch Janet had made that simply said, "Yes."
Yes - it is the word that God, in his tireless pursuit of the sinner, longs to hear.
Jesus came to bring us life and joy. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that anywhere and at any time, we can have the joy of Jesus.
“I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, Down in my heart, Down in my heart, Down in my heart.
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, Down in my heart, Down in my heart to stay.
And I'm so happy, So very happy, I've got the love of Jesus in my heart.
And I'm so happy, So very happy, I've got the love of Jesus in my heart” – George Willis Cooke
God’s Word: “Be joyful always” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16
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“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” – Philippians 2:1-2
Businessman and author Lee Iacocca once asked legendary football coach Vince Lombardi what it took to make a winning team. In his book, Iacocca records Lombardi’s answer: “There are a lot of coaches with good ball clubs who know the fundamentals and have plenty of discipline but still don’t win the game. Then you come to the third ingredient: if you’re going to play together as a team, you’ve got to care for one another. You’ve got to love each other. Each player has to be thinking about the next guy and saying to himself ‘If I don’t block that man, Paul is going to get his legs broken. I have to do my job well in order that he can do his.’ “The difference between mediocrity and greatness”, Lombardi said “is the feeling these guys have for each other.”
We all need encouragement. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that we have His Word that can encourage us and it can encourage others.
“This ministry of consolation and encouragement is not to be regarded as inferior and of secondary importance. Did we but discern it, we are daily surrounded by lonely, aching and sometimes broken hearts.” – J. Oswald Sanders
God’s Word: “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ” – Colossians 2:2
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“But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.” – Job 24:22
Victoria Kamāmalu was the granddaughter of King Kamehameha I, founder of the united Hawaiian Kingdom. It was intended that Victoria would succeed her mother Kīnaʻu in the position of Kuhina Nui (premier), but her mother died while she was still an infant. Victoria’s aunt Kekāuluohi became a placeholder for her niece using the name Kaʻahumanu III, but she died when Victoria was seven.
At age 11, Princess Victoria Kamāmalu was appointed as Heiress Presumptive to the title of Kuhina Nui in 1850 and made Minister of the Interior. But that position was repealed five years later because of Victoria’s young age.
On 30 November 1864, Victoria became head of state when her brother Kamehameha IV's died at 9:15 a.m. For the next 5 hours and 45 minutes, she reined until her other brother Kamehameha V was declared the actual successor at 3 p.m. the same day.
Kamehameha V appointed her heiress-apparent and Crown Princess. But she never again was head of state. She died on 29 May 1866, at the age of 27 years old.
Christ alone is the eternal King. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He alone is all-powerful and at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.
“The greatest single distinguishing feature of the omnipotence of God is that our imagination gets lost thinking about it.” – Blaise Pascal
God’s Word: “The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.” – Psalm 97:1
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“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:9
Columbia Southern University’s College of Safety and Emergency Services is an online college where students and professors live in all 50 states. With the COVID-19 emergency, many of the professors are “practicing what they preach” while continuing to teach online.
“Not only are we faculty here, we’re also front-line professionals ourselves,” said Aaron Rhone, Ph.D., emergency medical services administration professor. Rhone was assigned to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Emergency Operations Center at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
“I’ve been sending out personal protection equipment (PPE) to ensure that our front-line health care workers, our EMS providers, our first-responders of all sorts are taken care of in this fight against COVID-19,” he said.
Douglas Wehmeyer, who teaches fire science, was called to serve in Ohio.
“I am currently serving as the operations and planning section chief for the Deerfield Township emergency operations center,” said Wehmeyer. “The coronavirus has challenged emergency responders and calls us to rethink how we handle the routine responses that we make on a daily basis. The key for us is ensuring that we keep our community safe while ensuring the operational staff of our fire department is maintained as well.”
You can’t train for every instance in life, but we can put into practice what we have learned from the Lord. Today in prayer, take a step of faith and follow Jesus in all that you do.
“Some dear friends think the GOSPEL can only be accepted. But Jesus & Paul modeled how to live it, serve it & share it daily.” – Rick Warren
God’s Word: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” – John 13:17