Life is Short
“As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”
Psalm 103:15-16
The above scripture depicts how insignificant our life is in the big scheme of things. We are here for only a season, and all that will be left of us is the legacy that we leave behind. All our worldly and material possessions that we have accumulated will be gone, and all that will be left is the little things that our children and grandchildren will remember of us. Our future generations will only recognize our names, and will have no further knowledge of our existence on this earth. Our place in this world could be compared to the analogy of placing our hand in a bucket of water and removing it; after the water stills and the ripples subside there is nothing left. Therefore we need to live our lives, not with the desire to accumulate great wealth as we cannot take this with us, but need to concentrate our lives to leave a legacy that will carry on after we are gone. Our efforts need to be to do what is right and good, and to be remembered by our families, friends and everyone as being an example of someone who made a difference in the lives of others. This is the way that we need to be remembered, and our legacy should be reflective of this. Our children need to see us practice this in our everyday lives. Through this they will see that we value other people greater than we value ourselves, which is God’s plan. Our children have seen the legacy that their grandfathers and grandmothers have left, and they are aware that they are creating their own legacies to leave for their children and grandchildren. The type of person we are defines our life and our character, and our actions and daily values need to be something that others will want to duplicate.
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
My Daily Devotional
Establishing a Foundation
“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”
Proverbs 21:13
It is essential that the lives of any parents be grounded on the word of God. Our gifts, our acts of kindness, our love for others will get God’s attention, and it will also get the attention of our children. They will begin to see how they can also affect the lives of people around them. It will start the blessings flowing in their own lives. It will change them. I am witnessing this in our family each and every day. Our youngest son, as mentioned previously has been called into the ministry. This calling has been in his heart for some time as we have talked over the years, and he has been very interested in ways to help others. He has shown a passion over the years to want to help, encourage and meet the needs of people around him. Our daughter has always had such a talent as an encourager to others, and is now devoting much of her time and talent to be a sounding board and encourager to the people in her church. She is so gifted in this regard and God is using her to affect the lives of others. Our oldest son has always been a perfect example of someone who is living his life for God, and has such a talent to make everybody he comes into contact with feel good about themselves. He has made such a lasting impression with the people in our community and our church that they are constantly asking about him even though he moved out of the area many years ago. He still has this ability and I can see this in his life today. All of our children have been able to embrace God’s command that they are to love others as God loves them, and are putting this commandment to practice in their everyday lives. By putting God first in your family you are establishing a foundation for your children that will last forever.
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”
Proverbs 21:13
It is essential that the lives of any parents be grounded on the word of God. Our gifts, our acts of kindness, our love for others will get God’s attention, and it will also get the attention of our children. They will begin to see how they can also affect the lives of people around them. It will start the blessings flowing in their own lives. It will change them. I am witnessing this in our family each and every day. Our youngest son, as mentioned previously has been called into the ministry. This calling has been in his heart for some time as we have talked over the years, and he has been very interested in ways to help others. He has shown a passion over the years to want to help, encourage and meet the needs of people around him. Our daughter has always had such a talent as an encourager to others, and is now devoting much of her time and talent to be a sounding board and encourager to the people in her church. She is so gifted in this regard and God is using her to affect the lives of others. Our oldest son has always been a perfect example of someone who is living his life for God, and has such a talent to make everybody he comes into contact with feel good about themselves. He has made such a lasting impression with the people in our community and our church that they are constantly asking about him even though he moved out of the area many years ago. He still has this ability and I can see this in his life today. All of our children have been able to embrace God’s command that they are to love others as God loves them, and are putting this commandment to practice in their everyday lives. By putting God first in your family you are establishing a foundation for your children that will last forever.
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
My Daily Devotional
Conflicts in Marriage
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:3-4
I consider marriage to be one of the most sacred arrangements that any person will ever enter into. God gives us much advice throughout the Bible about marriage and the sacred contract that He considers it to be. Marriage is to be a place of sharing dreams, visions and raising a family with godly moral values, where God is always present. This does not mean that all marriages will not have some degree of conflict and disagreements, but the most important thing to remember is that you are husband and wife, and that you have committed yourselves to your mates for the rest of your life. This is God’s plan for marriage, as it is a permanent arrangement, with very little room for divorce. Your spouse must be the most important thing in your life, and you must be dedicated to serving each other. Any disagreement or conflict must not come between the true love you have for each other, and must not be allowed to grow and become larger than it deserves. Resolve any conflict and put it behind you as early as possible, and do not let it resurface again in your life. Remember there are two sides to every problem. Try to identify your own contribution to the problem and seek forgiveness. Marriage is a process that requires forgiveness and understanding by both parties. It is important to not hide the conflict and let it grow to larger proportions, but work together and resolve the problem early on so that it does not grow bigger and continue to be a burden for you. Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:3-4
I consider marriage to be one of the most sacred arrangements that any person will ever enter into. God gives us much advice throughout the Bible about marriage and the sacred contract that He considers it to be. Marriage is to be a place of sharing dreams, visions and raising a family with godly moral values, where God is always present. This does not mean that all marriages will not have some degree of conflict and disagreements, but the most important thing to remember is that you are husband and wife, and that you have committed yourselves to your mates for the rest of your life. This is God’s plan for marriage, as it is a permanent arrangement, with very little room for divorce. Your spouse must be the most important thing in your life, and you must be dedicated to serving each other. Any disagreement or conflict must not come between the true love you have for each other, and must not be allowed to grow and become larger than it deserves. Resolve any conflict and put it behind you as early as possible, and do not let it resurface again in your life. Remember there are two sides to every problem. Try to identify your own contribution to the problem and seek forgiveness. Marriage is a process that requires forgiveness and understanding by both parties. It is important to not hide the conflict and let it grow to larger proportions, but work together and resolve the problem early on so that it does not grow bigger and continue to be a burden for you. Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
My Daily Devotional
We Can Make A Difference
Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
2nd Timothy 1:3-5
This is a very personal scripture for me as I can relate to this very much. My grandmother was very dear to me as I was growing up, and taught me so much about how I was to live my life. She was my comforter, and someone I always went to for anything that ever bothered me, as I was growing up. She lived her life for Jesus, and ingrained this in me throughout my teen aged years. She always had all the answers for anything I ever questioned, and was always there to comfort me, anytime I needed someone to reassure me in any way. I believe grandparents are great bridge-builders, as she possessed the strength, faith, courage and ability to pass these attributes on to me. Today, I feel my children still benefit from my grandmothers faith, because they can see these attributes which she instilled in me, and which I am passing on to them, and hopefully they will pass on to my grandchildren. In a sense, it seems strange that grandparents can have such a far reaching influence. After all, even though they can be separated in age from their grandchildren by 40-70 years, yet they have the ability to bridge that generation gap—sometimes even better than parents can. I am sure that each of you has been influenced in a positive way by someone in your family that has instilled in you godly family values, in my case it was my grandmother. This is a treasure you must never forget, as you must apply these teachings to your family, and let these traits be passed down to your children, as you can make a difference to future generations.
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
2nd Timothy 1:3-5
This is a very personal scripture for me as I can relate to this very much. My grandmother was very dear to me as I was growing up, and taught me so much about how I was to live my life. She was my comforter, and someone I always went to for anything that ever bothered me, as I was growing up. She lived her life for Jesus, and ingrained this in me throughout my teen aged years. She always had all the answers for anything I ever questioned, and was always there to comfort me, anytime I needed someone to reassure me in any way. I believe grandparents are great bridge-builders, as she possessed the strength, faith, courage and ability to pass these attributes on to me. Today, I feel my children still benefit from my grandmothers faith, because they can see these attributes which she instilled in me, and which I am passing on to them, and hopefully they will pass on to my grandchildren. In a sense, it seems strange that grandparents can have such a far reaching influence. After all, even though they can be separated in age from their grandchildren by 40-70 years, yet they have the ability to bridge that generation gap—sometimes even better than parents can. I am sure that each of you has been influenced in a positive way by someone in your family that has instilled in you godly family values, in my case it was my grandmother. This is a treasure you must never forget, as you must apply these teachings to your family, and let these traits be passed down to your children, as you can make a difference to future generations.
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
Monday, December 27, 2010
My Daily Devotional
What Happens When You Die
"Therefore, just as son entered the world through one man, and death through sin and in this way death came to all men because all sinned..."
Romans 5:12
What happens when you die? Imagine for a moment that you've just been in a terrible car accident on your way to work. The ambulance has arrived, but it's too late. Your body is now cold and lifeless, and is taken to the morgue. Actually the very moment your heart stopped beating, your soul, the conscious part of you that never dies, was literally ripped from your body, and you opened your eyes in this great courtroom. You've never seen so many people before, and shield your eyes from the brightness of the One sitting on the throne. It is now your time, and you are brought before Him. There, a book is put in front of you, with all the records of your life, nothing is left out, all the good things you did, and all the bad things you did are recorded. At the end of the book, is a list of names. You notice the name of the book, it is the Lamb's Book of Life. They look for your name, and it is not there. Someone, says Guilty, your name is not listed. You kick and scream as you are led out, and shout there must be some mistake, I am not a bad person. You are led to a burning lake of fire, and hear the screams of thousands filling the air with piercing voices as they suffer in the never ending flames. You see Satan, standing in one corner, and wonder how you allowed him to deceive you all those years on earth. Reality begins to sink in. Could I really be in Hell? I never thought much about Hell, and besides, what great crime did I commit? As you begin to panic, you begin to cry out to God, who in life you thought very little about, asking Him to send some relief to the hot flames that are now surrounding you. God tells you about the huge gulf that keeps you from the place in Heaven, and tells you that you will never escape. You begin to think about the time that your friend shared salvation with you, but you slammed the door in his face. If only you had listened to this simple message, you would not be here today. You now begin to think about your family, and want to warn them of this awful place, and that they still have a chance, the very same opportunity you had, and you want so badly to tell them to seize this opportunity. Being consumed in a fire is terrible enough, but to have to endure it throughout the ages, you can't comprehend. You think, after I have been here for 1 billion years, it will still be like the first day. There is no escape for me. My friends, this is the scenario that each of you will face, if you continue to reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You are a sinner, and need Jesus to forgive you of your sins. The road to salvation is clearly presented in the New Testament. There is only one way you will ever be able to escape this horrible fate, and that way is to ask Jesus to come into your heart, and acknowledge the fact that Jesus died on the cross to save you from all the sins you have committed, and was raised from the dead, so you could be saved. You must commit that you will serve Him, and obey His commands for the rest of your life. This is the only way to avoid Hell, and the scenario above. You still have a chance to escape Hell, and you must not let it pass you by. You are not promised tomorrow, as you could be the one in the accident today, and this afternoon you could be the one facing this future. Don't put off this simple message, but ask Jesus to come into your heart right now. Don't let this scenario be your scenario, as you still have a chance to have your name recorded in The Lambs Book of Life, and found "Not Guilty."
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
"Therefore, just as son entered the world through one man, and death through sin and in this way death came to all men because all sinned..."
Romans 5:12
What happens when you die? Imagine for a moment that you've just been in a terrible car accident on your way to work. The ambulance has arrived, but it's too late. Your body is now cold and lifeless, and is taken to the morgue. Actually the very moment your heart stopped beating, your soul, the conscious part of you that never dies, was literally ripped from your body, and you opened your eyes in this great courtroom. You've never seen so many people before, and shield your eyes from the brightness of the One sitting on the throne. It is now your time, and you are brought before Him. There, a book is put in front of you, with all the records of your life, nothing is left out, all the good things you did, and all the bad things you did are recorded. At the end of the book, is a list of names. You notice the name of the book, it is the Lamb's Book of Life. They look for your name, and it is not there. Someone, says Guilty, your name is not listed. You kick and scream as you are led out, and shout there must be some mistake, I am not a bad person. You are led to a burning lake of fire, and hear the screams of thousands filling the air with piercing voices as they suffer in the never ending flames. You see Satan, standing in one corner, and wonder how you allowed him to deceive you all those years on earth. Reality begins to sink in. Could I really be in Hell? I never thought much about Hell, and besides, what great crime did I commit? As you begin to panic, you begin to cry out to God, who in life you thought very little about, asking Him to send some relief to the hot flames that are now surrounding you. God tells you about the huge gulf that keeps you from the place in Heaven, and tells you that you will never escape. You begin to think about the time that your friend shared salvation with you, but you slammed the door in his face. If only you had listened to this simple message, you would not be here today. You now begin to think about your family, and want to warn them of this awful place, and that they still have a chance, the very same opportunity you had, and you want so badly to tell them to seize this opportunity. Being consumed in a fire is terrible enough, but to have to endure it throughout the ages, you can't comprehend. You think, after I have been here for 1 billion years, it will still be like the first day. There is no escape for me. My friends, this is the scenario that each of you will face, if you continue to reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You are a sinner, and need Jesus to forgive you of your sins. The road to salvation is clearly presented in the New Testament. There is only one way you will ever be able to escape this horrible fate, and that way is to ask Jesus to come into your heart, and acknowledge the fact that Jesus died on the cross to save you from all the sins you have committed, and was raised from the dead, so you could be saved. You must commit that you will serve Him, and obey His commands for the rest of your life. This is the only way to avoid Hell, and the scenario above. You still have a chance to escape Hell, and you must not let it pass you by. You are not promised tomorrow, as you could be the one in the accident today, and this afternoon you could be the one facing this future. Don't put off this simple message, but ask Jesus to come into your heart right now. Don't let this scenario be your scenario, as you still have a chance to have your name recorded in The Lambs Book of Life, and found "Not Guilty."
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
Sunday, December 26, 2010
My Daily Devotional
Control Your Bitterness
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
Ephesians 4:31
Have you ever been betrayed in your life? I am confident that most people have experienced a situation or situations where you have been hurt, and bitterness, rage and anger has manifested itself inside you. A friend or co-worker who slanders you behind your back, a boss that has fired you without reason, an unfaithful spouse, a broken relationship without any cause can all be reasons to feel betrayed, and cause you to store up bitterness against someone. Jesus was the ultimate example of how we need to deal with betrayal. When Judas betrayed Him with a kiss, Jesus refused to be bitter, and did not penalize Judas for what He had done. Judas destroyed himself; it was not Jesus that took his revenge. Jesus also did not hold bitterness against Peter when he denied him three times. Jesus forgave him and Peter was restored, and became the great preacher on the Day of Pentecost. Being betrayed is an external act against us, something that others do to us, but bitterness is internal; something that we do to ourselves. Bitterness is more devastating that the act of betrayal, as we can survive betrayal, but very few can survive the effects of bitterness, and what it can do in our lives. We may not be able to control an act of betrayal that is done against us by someone, but we can and must control our hearts, and keep bitterness from invading our lives. We need to eliminate any words of bitterness from our conversations, and not remind others of our experiences, unless it is to teach and encourage them to rise above their own hurts. We need to remove any bitterness from our hearts, and be on guard against bitterness in the future, and use Jesus as our example as He refused to be bitter.
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
Ephesians 4:31
Have you ever been betrayed in your life? I am confident that most people have experienced a situation or situations where you have been hurt, and bitterness, rage and anger has manifested itself inside you. A friend or co-worker who slanders you behind your back, a boss that has fired you without reason, an unfaithful spouse, a broken relationship without any cause can all be reasons to feel betrayed, and cause you to store up bitterness against someone. Jesus was the ultimate example of how we need to deal with betrayal. When Judas betrayed Him with a kiss, Jesus refused to be bitter, and did not penalize Judas for what He had done. Judas destroyed himself; it was not Jesus that took his revenge. Jesus also did not hold bitterness against Peter when he denied him three times. Jesus forgave him and Peter was restored, and became the great preacher on the Day of Pentecost. Being betrayed is an external act against us, something that others do to us, but bitterness is internal; something that we do to ourselves. Bitterness is more devastating that the act of betrayal, as we can survive betrayal, but very few can survive the effects of bitterness, and what it can do in our lives. We may not be able to control an act of betrayal that is done against us by someone, but we can and must control our hearts, and keep bitterness from invading our lives. We need to eliminate any words of bitterness from our conversations, and not remind others of our experiences, unless it is to teach and encourage them to rise above their own hurts. We need to remove any bitterness from our hearts, and be on guard against bitterness in the future, and use Jesus as our example as He refused to be bitter.
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
Saturday, December 25, 2010
My Daily Devotional
Christmas Day
The Birth of Jesus
Luke Chapter 2
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
This is the day of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ who came into this world to suffer and die on the cross for us and forgive us from our sins.
Merry Christmas Bob and Margaret
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
The Birth of Jesus
Luke Chapter 2
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
This is the day of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ who came into this world to suffer and die on the cross for us and forgive us from our sins.
Merry Christmas Bob and Margaret
(Many of my readers have asked if my Daily Devotionals have been published and if they could purchase them. The Devotionals I am posting are from My Daily Devotional Volume III which was published in 2009 and can be purchased at amazon.com or from me at robbrock@comcast.net)
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