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	<title>DEEPERDEVOTION.com</title>
	<link>http://deeperdevotion.com</link>
	<description>Delivered Monday through Friday, our daily devotions are the perfect companion to your time in the Word. Biblical, consistent, and with over three years of back content, DEEPERDEVOTION.com is a great resource for everyone. Check us out on the web at www.deeperdevotion.com</description>
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		<category>Devotions</category>
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		<itunes:summary>Delivered Monday through Friday, our devotions are the perfect companion to your time in the Word. Biblical, consistent, and with over three years of back content, DEEPERDEVOTION.com is a great resource for everyone. Check us out on the web at www.deeperdevotion.com</itunes:summary>
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		<title>Are You Searching?</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/494</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/494#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2003 09:32:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">1542636073</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The gifts will soon be opened, food devoured, traditions fulfilled, and we will rest in satisfaction.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Kristie Ansley
Psalm 42:1
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.
The gifts will soon be opened, food devoured, traditions fulfilled, and we will rest in satisfaction.  Weeks, perhaps even months, building up to this one day, this one season of celebration, all culminating on December 25th.  And the end product?  We sit back in our lazy chair and release a sigh of fulfilling relief.  
Sometimes I wonder if this routine may be compared to receiving the gift of salvation.  We are born into a world of reckless confusion and struggle to find our way.  We build up hopes and expectations for what we will become.  We search for meaning; for purpose, a place to belong and then, Christ is born into our life as a small babe and we find rest; sweet, gentle rest.  We hear Him utter a small coo and our spirit is mysteriously settled.  We have received what we have been searching for and we may finally sit back and sigh out of sheer satisfaction.
Every soul longs to be with his creator and master.  A hunger has been instilled, within each of us, for communion with our Father.  When we accept salvation, we receive the answers to our life questions and our hunger is satisfied.  As we prepare for this holiday season, I must ask, how hungry are you?  Are you still looking for the perfect gift?  Or are you sighing in awe of the work of your Creator?  God provided a way for us to find perfect and eternal peace through Jesus Christ.  If you are still &#8220;shopping,&#8221; I challenge you to browse through the pages of the Bible; you might find just what you&#8217;re looking for.
Lord, I praise you today for bridging the gap and saving me through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Please help me to find peace and purpose in your saving grace.
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		<item>
		<title>The Point Of Devastation</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/492</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/492#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2003 09:34:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">1637735997</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most times in my life God has been gracious in His dealings with me; things always seem to work out.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Kristie Ansley
Job 42:5-6
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.
The point of devastation&#8230;  I don&#8217;t know that I have experienced this, but lately I seem to be having my share of trials.  Most times in my life God has been gracious in His dealings with me; things always seem to work out.  We have a little bit more in our bank account and the truck breaks down.  The situation at work becomes unbearable and I find a dear friend to confide in and the day goes by quickly.  God always seems to balance the good with the bad in my life and this seesaw has developed in me a faith that confidently knows that God is going to take care of me and make me comfortable.  When He closes a door, He opens a window, right?
The problem with this faith is that I have grown to expect goodness from my God in the form of material provisions, financial sustenance, and personal happiness.  I recently asked the Lord to teach me humility.  Knowing this was a dangerous request, I clenched my teeth and have been holding on for the ride ever since.  The God that I thought I knew doesn&#8217;t seem so familiar anymore.  My husband and I feel like a ship battered by the storm; while we are still catching our breath from one trial, we are broad sided by yet another wave of difficulties.  I have found myself in a miniature crisis of faith.  How can I have faith in a God who isn&#8217;t answering my prayers the way He used to?  How do I know He is there when He doesn&#8217;t take care of me the way He always has?
The lesson in Job is that we are all mere humans.  In our eyes, Job had every right to complain.  He had lost every blessing God had ever put in His life.  How was he to understand this God who seemed to be so merciless?  The answer is found in chapter 38.  To Job&#8217;s questioning God responds, &#8220;Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?&#8221;  God asserts His Lordship over Job by reminding him of his place.
The application here is simple.  If I hope to develop humility, I must first understand my position in light of my great God.  Secondly, if I expect to develop any kind of faith, I must learn to trust that God is in control when I feel like He has hung me out to dry.  Is it really faith if I know that my financial crisis will be met with an unexpected influx of money?  I challenge that true faith is believing in the God that would leave you naked, abandoned, and alone as He did to Job.  And true humility is to proclaim, &#8220;I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.&#8221;
I dare you to take this course.  Request that God teach you true humility and faith.  Humility and faith that believe in the God who would take your future spouse through a torturous bout with cancer.  Humility and faith that believe in the God who would lead you into a miserable situation and ask you to stay there and persevere.  Humility and faith that believe in the God who might allow you to be barren despite the desperate longing of your heart to have children.  Humility and faith that understand that the real blessing from God is eternity with Him and that the trials of this earth only bring us closer to an understanding of how great our Creator truly is.  
Lord, grant us your Spirit today to teach us humility and faith to withstand any trial.  Give us Your grace to persevere and Your mercy as we surrender to Your will.
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		<item>
		<title>Every Perfect Gift</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/490</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/490#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2003 03:37:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">311801462</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Satan is the world's greatest prizefighter... the minute you let your guard down, he'll hit you with a one-two punch.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Glenn Ansley
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
Satan is the world&#8217;s greatest prizefighter&#8230; the minute you let your guard down, he&#8217;ll hit you with a one-two punch. When the transmission went out on my truck, the first thought that came to my head was &#8220;Why me!&#8221; That&#8217;s the first punch. James 1:2 instructs me to take joy in my various trials but Satan tempts me with the pity party. The blow is more than I can handle and it becomes a serious setback in my relationship with God. If the first was a quick jab, punch two comes with the intensity of a right hook. Far greater than blaming God for my troubles is the damage that comes from an ungrateful heart. That&#8217;s the second punch. Blinded by the first jab, I succumb to Satan&#8217;s second blow by denying God the praise He deserves for blessing me with the means to get my truck repaired. One&#8230; two, and I&#8217;m out.
This is the lesson found in James 1:17. As a child of God, you must never allow yourself to take for granted the many blessings in your life. Furthermore, there is a supernatural peace and joy that comes over the one who continually praises God for those blessings, especially in the midst of turmoil and pain. 
Everyone has something to be thankful for. Whether it&#8217;s the family you&#8217;re a part of, the country you live in, or the friends you have made, there is not one person who doesn&#8217;t owe their heavenly Father thanks for His provision. About to be burned alive at the stake, the first century pastor Polycarp was asked to denounce Christ and to hail Caesar as lord. In response, he replied, &#8220;Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?&#8221; 
Regardless of how great you believe your trials are, and in spite of how few blessings you acknowledge as coming from the Lord, every child of God should be more than thankful for his or her salvation. This is the greatest gift that was ever given. It was offered to you by the light of the world, there is no variation or shifting shadow. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. The utmost of these is your salvation. 
We have no greater enemy than the one who seeks to disrupt our relationship with the Lord. One of his greatest strengths is the ability to blind us from the source of any good in our lives. I encourage you to take a look around and make a list of the blessings in your life. You may be surprised to find just how much the Lord has done for you.
Rather than approaching you heavenly Father with no more than a list of complaints and sorrows, try beginning your day by thanking Him for what He has given you.
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		<item>
		<title>A Crown of Endurance</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/487</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/487#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2003 09:50:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">2100551684</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It's difficult to worship the Lord in the midst of trial and pain.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Glenn Ansley
James 1:12
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised Him.
It&#8217;s difficult to worship the Lord in the midst of trial and pain. I often allow myself to become so indulged in self-pity and hopelessness that I forget who I am and what my purpose for living is. I find doubt, confusion, anxiety, and even bitterness stowed away in my heart when things aren&#8217;t going the way that I would have them. There is no doubt that many others suffer much more than the occasional argument, sickness, financial burden, or death that intrudes into my otherwise trouble-free life. Nonetheless, I somehow find a way to bottle up all the ungodliness I can, and miss the blessings that are made available to me.
I have to admit that verses such as James 1:2 have left me somewhat confounded in the past. Consider it all joy whenever I encounter various trials? I&#8217;ve comprehended this on a surface level, and even taught it before, but it really is hard to have joy in the midst of heartache and pain. I know that the &#8220;testing of my faith produces endurance,&#8221; but all too often ignored is the necessity of endurance. If I don&#8217;t see the need to endure, if I don&#8217;t want to endure, one could see how this deflates the whole system. 
Scripture, however, always answers Scripture. The fact that I never saw the need for endurance in the past is only a testimony to my lack of serious study. I encourage you to read James 1:2-12. Don&#8217;t, however, be tempted to remain within the confines of verses 2-6. The true peace, and the completeness of verse two do not come together until one has read verse twelve. &#8220;Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised him.&#8221;
I&#8217;ve never been one covetous of royalty, but the crown mentioned in verse twelve sure gives me ample reason to embrace endurance. I have no clue as to the magnitude or the complexity of the trials you may be currently facing. I do know one thing though; in the midst of those trials, there is a grand opportunity for joy. This joy is not found in self-pity or hopelessness, but rather, in the knowledge that you will one day receive a crown of life upon your head. One who perseveres under trial has victory in the same test set before Abraham, Moses, Job, and Jesus Christ. The one who endures in the midst of heartache and pain has acquired a faith worthy of Hebrews eleven. If you and I can find joy in that endurance, if we can persevere in faith, our testimony will be an encouragement to fellow believers, a defeated battle for the enemy of our souls, and a crown of life, which was promised to us by the Lord. Above all, it may be the purest form of worship we can present to our God. I can think of no greater joy than this&#8230; regardless of how painful it was obtained.
Endurance must be desired; only then will we experience the joy in our various trials.
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Resisting Anxiety</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/485</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/485#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Dec 2003 09:37:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">2052798068</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Isn't it amazing the difference between the characteristics of our Creator and our human nature?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Kristie Ansley
Matthew 6:25,27,33-34
For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life&#8217;s span? But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Isn&#8217;t it amazing the difference between the characteristics of our Creator (in whose image we are supposed to be created) and our human nature? According to Genesis, we were created in God&#8217;s own image and designed to share communion with Him. I don&#8217;t know about you, but I find that I share the most honest and open communication with people that are like me, people that have similar goals and desires. In the same way, God created us in His image to live with us in harmony. Our sin separated us from him and severed that communion but, beyond that, growing out of the original sin came our human nature that has built up layers and walls around the &#8220;image of God&#8221; that lies within. Sin has drastically changed the face of God&#8217;s creation and, somehow through God&#8217;s grace, we are to peel away the layers we&#8217;ve been building up until we reveal our initial character, that of our Creator. 
Many of those layers of our human nature are concerns for things of this world. This world teaches us to plan, to predict, and to coordinate our lives. From the time we are children, we come up with lists of what we want and what we &#8220;need.&#8221; Even as preschoolers, children know what they want to be when they grow up. The world also teaches us to worry. We should worry about the state of the economy, we should be concerned about the impending war with Iraq, we should always consider the instability of the world around us and plan accordingly. While all of these contemplations seem wise, I believe at the heart is self-preservation and all they are doing is building up more layers that separate us from true communion with God. God is the giver of all good gifts and He longs to be our provider. How can He provide and direct us if we have everything planned and tended to? We are told to not &#8220;be anxious for our life&#8221; as it will not add to our life span. Instead, we are to pursue God and allow Him to direct our actions. When we seek God first, &#8220;all these things shall be added to you.&#8221; We are to live today as if it is our last day to serve God and trust that tomorrow will care for itself. I think the purpose of all of this is so that we will be freed of all ties to the world so that we can fully and completely serve our Creator. Our eternal prize is not of this world, we are to be building for the kingdom.
I challenge you today to let go of your worldly concerns. God has promised to care for you and He longs for you to relinquish control and let Him give you a much better life than you could have dreamed or imagined. When we throw off our sinful nature that demands we pay attention to our worldly possessions, we experienced pure communication with our Creator and function the way He had intended, completely under His direction and provision.
Lord, please take all that I claim as my own and become more and more of my focus every day. I love you and want my life o&shy;n this earth to be free of worldly concerns so that I may better serve you and love you.
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		<item>
		<title>Hope for the Future</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/484</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/484#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2003 08:04:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">462510932</guid>
		<description><![CDATA["I surrendered to His will and was free to explore His plan for my life."]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Kristie Ansley
Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man&#8217;s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.
I decided to major in Biology.  The plan was to obtain a Biology degree, with a concentration in Pre-Health, and pursue a career in medical missions.  Though Palm Beach Atlantic College doesn&#8217;t seem like the prime choice for someone hoping for a career in medicine, I knew that this was where the Lord had me.  I had prayed and sought wise counsel and decided that I wanted to go to a Christian college.  From there I looked into five colleges and, after more prayer and more counsel, decided that PBA was the place God was leading me to.  So, in choosing a Biology major with the hopes of medical school in the future, I knew that God would work it out.  I knew that God didn&#8217;t need me to go to John&#8217;s Hopkins or Harvard to make me a doctor.  I also knew that God&#8217;s plans were not my plans and that the best place I could possibly be was within His will&#8230; which He had shown me was Palm Beach Atlantic College.  
I met Glenn Ansley in the spring semester of my freshman year at PBA.  Of our group of friends, he was surprisingly mature and incredibly humorous.  We soon became close friends and, through a series of fortunate circumstances, became each other&#8217;s closest of friends.  My family maintains that I &#8220;liked&#8221; him from day one, but I still believe I started falling for him in the fall of my sophomore year.  The first twindge of emotion came in the thought, &#8220;Wow! This is an incredible man of God&#8230; whoever marries him will be truly fortunate.&#8221;  That thought soon became, &#8220;I have never known a man with whom I have been so comfortable around and who makes me feel so lovely.&#8221;  After a short separation because of the semester break, I knew that it was unavoidable.  I had fallen for Glenn Ansley and hated being apart from him&#8230; but I was confused.
Glenn was a religion major with hopes of become a pastor.  God had called him to the ministry when he was sixteen and, since then, he had dreamed of being a youth pastor.  I was a Biology major, with the hopes of a career in medicine on the mission field.  I didn&#8217;t understand why God would bring someone so wonderful into my life just to disappoint me.  We were both committed to what we felt called to and those callings didn&#8217;t allow for a future together.  After a confrontation over our feelings for each other, we didn&#8217;t talk for eight months.  It was too confusing and too disappointing.  I was disappointed in God for allowing me to know such a wonderful person, but not allowing us to be together.  I was disappointed that I had fallen for someone only to be reminded that those emotions were something I could not have.  
God worked in my heart and restored me.  First, He reminded me that He should always be my first love no matter who came into my life.  Secondly, He showed me that His plans were not my plans.  I had tried to figure out His plan for my life based on my skills and talents and forgotten that the most important thing was my personal faith.  This personal faith could only be developed by a daily testing and pursuit of God&#8217;s plan over mine.  My love for science and my ability to care for people meant nothing if I wasn&#8217;t pursuing God&#8217;s plan for my life.  God didn&#8217;t need my skills&#8230; He needed my heart.  And so, I surrendered.  I surrendered to His will and was free to explore His plan for my life.  
Glenn and I healed our friendship and, two weeks later, realized that we had never stopped caring for each other.  We started dating on September 22, 1999 and have never forgotten what we learned, &#8220;Many plans are in a man&#8217;s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.&#8221;  This lesson has been invaluable as we&#8217;ve seen our plans change over and over again as we pursue God&#8217;s will for our life together.  We were married in March of 2002 and God has always honored our submission to His counsel.  My pursuit of the Lord&#8217;s counsel over my own plans and personal reasoning brought me to PBA.  It was there that I met the man God planned for me.  It was there that I found the future God dreamed for me&#8230; a future of faith and obedience.  
Many plans are in a man&#8217;s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.
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		<item>
		<title>Lonely?</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/483</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/483#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Nov 2003 14:02:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">1621107743</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever felt lonely?  Personally, I am not usually prone to loneliness.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Kristie Ansley
Acts 4:32
All the believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
Have you ever felt lonely?  Personally, I am not usually prone to loneliness.  I typically find something to occupy my time or seek out someone to fill up any lurking isolation.  There have been a few times in my life, however, when the loneliness has been so intense that it almost feels like there are 10lb sand bags hanging over each shoulder and as though my chest could cave in from the pressure.  
The most recent of these times happened immediately after my husband and I were married in the spring of 2002.  We were married in Florida (where we were close to his family and our friends) and moved to North Carolina for Glenn to attend seminary.  I was thankful because the move put me closer to my family but we were still without friends and familiarity.  I had a difficult time finding a job and spent most of my days alone in the house trying to occupy myself (you can only look for work for so long before you start to go out of your mind).  It was in these first few months that the impact of what we had done truly hit me.  I was already struggling with the question of what I wanted to do with my life and then we moved away from the place and the people I had called home for 5 years.  People asked me how I was doing and I always said that we were doing well and that we were thrilled to be married.  While both were true, I failed to mention that I was crying over Wal-Mart commercials and flipping out over dust on the blinds, stains on my tablecloth, and laundry that took three cycles to dry (all psychotic behaviors I am usually able to avoid).  When I finally stopped to evaluate what my problem was, I realized that in my heart I was deeply lonely.  And to make matters worse, I was taking it out on my husband for not filling the social void in my life (a task that no one person is capable of).
I am happy to say that things have gotten much better since then.  First, I got a job and had more than one person to talk to about my day.  Second, my husband started school and we began to remember what we were doing here.  And lastly, but most importantly, we found a church.  We don&#8217;t really know many people all that well but, since we started calling this church our &#8220;church home,&#8221; God has been filling us with interactions with other believers and challenging us to join the community that this church has established among its members.  Through all of this, I have realized the importance of surrounding ourselves with believers to strengthen us in our walk and remind us of the reason behind our daily battles: the pursuit of the Kingdom of God.  Acts gives us an illustration of a fully functional church.  Everyone was sharing each other&#8217;s burdens and they were constantly in awe of what God was doing through them.
God has given us the Holy Spirit and other believers so that we do not have to walk the road of life alone.  If you feel alone or isolated, I challenge you to find a church or a group of believers to talk to and to share your struggles with.  Christ came to this earth and suffered every emotion you and I will ever feel.  Because of that, I know that He listens to our cries for comfort and relationship and fills them with exactly what we need.
Pray for God to surround you with His Holy Spirit and bring believers along-side you to support you along this journey.
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		<item>
		<title>A Psalm of Thanksgiving</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/482</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/482#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2003 14:30:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.  Serve the LORD with gladness.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Psalm 100
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. 
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing. 
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name. 
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
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		<title>A Growing Example</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/481</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/481#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2003 07:13:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">141844011</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I was a child, my mother would regularly record how much my siblings and I were growing.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Glenn Ansley
James 1:1
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings.
When I was a child, my mother would regularly record how much my siblings and I were growing. The result of this, combined with living in the same house for fifteen years, was three columns of pencil marks scaling up the wall of our kitchen pantry. Needless to say, by the time I had reached eighteen I was considerably taller than I was at the age of five. Growth is the natural process of becoming older; with maturity often comes evidence of its existence.
This was so with the early Church as well. The author of James was none other than the brother of Christ. He wrote his epistle, or letter, to a group of Jewish Christians between the years of 50 and 60b.c. As a result, this short book is not only one of the earliest in our New Testament, but one of the greatest \'looking glasses&#8217; into the dealings of early Christianity. As we will see through the study of this book, Christianity has matured greatly from its humble, and sometimes difficult, beginnings. By the time that the Apostle Paul had begun writing letters to the churches, there was a greater need to explain theology and doctrine to his readers. James, however, is concerned with ethical and practical counsel. Most of the Jewish Christians were coming from a deep tradition in Judaism. Judaism had often fallen into the trap of teaching legalism on paper, but all to often, forsaking it in reality. This is the reason for such a great difference between the letters of James and Paul. As one of the first leaders among Christians, James was concerned with how to live while Paul, several years later, was able to emphasize why we live. Within those few short years, Christianity as a whole had experienced great maturity. Scripture, much like the pencil marks at my house, leave us with the evidence.
I ask you to recall your life prior to meeting the Lord? Have things changed? How much deeper are you now able to study the Bible? Have you yet reached the point where you can mentor those around you? A child that fails to grow in height is often experiencing nutritional or physical obstructions to his maturity? In the same manner, a child of God who fails to grow in his faith is, more often than not, lacking the spiritual food he needs or being held back by worldly obstructions. How much growth have you made?
Do you continue to mature in the knowledge of the Lord, or is your &#8220;marking on the wall&#8221; at the same place it was when you accepted His gift of salvation?
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		<title>Only One Will Remain</title>
		<link>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/480</link>
		<comments>http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/480#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2003 08:23:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Glenn Ansley</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Devotions]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Who is the source of your inspiration, your values, and your character?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[by Glenn Ansley
John 6:32
Truly, truly, I ay to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.
Who is the source of your inspiration, your values, and your character? When I was in the 10th grade, my youth pastor was called to another church. This sort of event is not unfamiliar to the field of youth ministry, or even church ministry in general. To me, however, it was the end of the world. He had been the only youth pastor I had ever known. When he left, I felt like I was up a river without a paddle, a ship without a sail, stuck in a maze of mirrors&#8230; well, you get the point. Two year later, the next youth leader was gone and the same feelings returned. This time, however, I discovered my strength in a very important truth that God had been teaching me. I find Christ teaching this same principle to the crowds that followed Him in John chapter six.
They said to Him, &#8220;Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, \'He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.&#8217;&#8221; (Verse 31) In response, Jesus instructs them that it was never Moses who provide the bread, but God the Father. The Jews, much like I did, placed their faith and inspiration in an earthly figure, rather than their heavenly Father. Christ is quick to point out that Moses was not the source of their bread. When we begin to place our attention on earthly figures, we are only setting ourselves up for disaster and disappointment. Moses, as godly as he was, was merely a man. Humans will continually make mistakes and even leaders will eventually move on or loose our respect. My first youth pastor was, and still is, an amazing man of God. He taught me immeasurable truths that I carry with me even today. Outside the influence of my parents, there was no one more influential to me during my formative years. Unfortunately, I sought him for wisdom and strength in my walk with God, rather than going directly to the Lord. When he left, I was left to go through life without a leader because I had failed to make God my ultimate mentor.
Jesus went on to say that He is the bread of life, whoever believes in Him, will never hunger. Christ proclaimed to the Jews that He was sent from the Father to guide them and to lead them to eternal life. Unlike Moses though, He was of the Father&#8230; He was deity. If they would only place their faith in Him, they would discover a leader that would never leave them nor forsake them! Christ offered the same words of comfort to me as I struggled to find my place in the months following my youth pastor&#8217;s departure. He taught me that, like Moses, He would provide me with mentors and pastors along the journey. He, though, should be my primary leader, my source of inspiration, values, and character. With this truth, I was able to face the storm the next time a youth leader left our church. The Jews, however, did not learn so easily. In verses 36 and 37 Jesus says, &#8220;But I said to you, that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.&#8221; They failed to recognize Jesus as their leader, and as a result, they wander through life without one even to this day.
Who do you look to for leadership? I promise you, only one will remain.
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