Filed under: Daniel Corey Devotions
First off, I am sorry for the silence, I hope to post here at least once a week but life has been crazy. I guess that should not come as much of a surprize. I can’t wait for life to slow down to do the things that I know I should do.
Text: 1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” ESV
I don’t know about you, but I am still wrestling with God over some of the things that He showed me at camp and through Isaiah 40. I am still trying to get my mind around the full application of the greatness of God and what it should do to my life as a Christian. And as I have been thinking about this and as I have been reading the Word and a Biography about C. H. Spurgeon, I have come up with some thoughts that I would like to share with you.
You are not too young to live for God whole-heartedly right now. You are not too young. If you wait until you are in your 20’s or 30’s or even 40’s to serve God with boldness and resolve, then you will have wasted your life. You will answer to God for your foolishness and He will say, “I gave you all of this, and what’s more, I gave my only Son, and you burnt it up on cloths, friends, entertainment, popularity, sports, the prideful side of study, selfishness, lust, laziness, self-indulgent desires, and so many other things that I hate and will burn in the consuming fire of My wrath!” It must pain and anger God when we use that which He gave us to glorify Him with as a perverse instrument with which we offend Him.
You are not too young. Paul tells his spiritual son Timothy, “Don’t let people despise you for your youth.” So many times we fear what people will say about us. “That Dan Corey, who does he think he is wanting to be a preacher! Doesn’t he know what it takes? Maybe in a few years when he gets a bit older he could start pursuing that dream, but now, at 22?” How foolish of us to place the opinions of temporal people above the commands of the eternal God! How utterly embarrassing, how incredibly foolish! You are not too young. If you will not follow God today, you will not follow Him tomorrow.
”But set the believers an example.” Paul uses the word ‘but’ here to indicate two contrasting ideas. He is giving a negative imperative followed by a positive. “Stop letting them despise you for your age” and “Start (or continue) being an example” So often we like to take the first part of this verse and hold it as our banner. ”Stop discounting what I say and do because of my age!” I have heard many sermons preached to young people that emphasize this point, but very few emphasized the second part. “Be an exemplary Christian!” Be someone that believers can follow. Be one that is not ashamed of the gospel and one who does not partake with those who laugh at the things that God hates! It is so hard brothers and sisters but this is what we are called to. We are not to be like the world, we are not to look like them, act like them, smell like them, talk like them, watch what they watch, listen to what they listen to, but we are called to be like Jesus Christ and do that well! This is the essence of the Christian walk. The word ‘Christian’ means one who is like Christ. Remember brothers and sisters, it is not one prayer that gets you into heaven and forgiveness of sins. It is continual repentance from your sins and belief in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 7:13-14 says that the gate that leads to destruction is broad and the way is easy, but the gate to life is narrow and the way is hard. Jesus is that gate. He said, “No one comes to the Father but through Me.” Remember that not only is the gate narrow, but so is the path. Live your life as though your life depended on it, because it does.
One last thing in closing, I challenge, I urge, I beg you brothers and sisters in Christ, listen to the sermon by Paul Washer on my myspace. http://www.myspace.com/pastordanc It is 58 minutes long but it is so worth it. It is one of the most powerful and impacting sermons I have ever heard. Paul Washer is a missionary to South American and Eastern Europe and he is addressing a large gathering of youth group kids.
I know we live busy lives but give God 1 of the 24 hours He gave you today. Please leave a comment of encouragement if you are being blessed by these devotions. It is hard some times because it feels like we are just sending these out into the void and no one reads them. Next week we will discuss what an exemplary Christian looks like in more detail.
May the Lord richly bless you as you seek to serve Him- Serving the Master- Daniel
Filed under: Devotions
In Summer Study at IBC we are studying church history and talking about persecution…
Around the world today Christians are being persecuted for their faith. More than 70 million Christians have been martyred for their faith since 33 AD. This year an estimated 160,000 believers will die at the hands of their oppressors and over 200 million will be persecuted, arrested, tortured, beaten or jailed. In many nations it is illegal to own a Bible, share your faith, change your faith or allow children under 18 to attend a religious service.
Here is one such story.
From Pakistan in 1997
Anila met Perveen at school. As their friendship grew, Anila gave Perveen a Bible and taught her Christian songs. Perveen quickly learned Christian songs and began to teach
them to her younger sister when her parents weren’t home. Perveen’s parents soon learned of the songs. Being strict Muslims, they were not happy about them. But rather than confronting
Perveen right away, they had her younger sister try to find out where she was getting this Christian influence.
Anila eventually invited Perveen to a Good Friday service. When the young Muslim heard the Gospel presentation, she immediately accepted Jesus. Perveen became very excited about her new relationship with Jesus and saw great changes take place in her life. She read her Bible and praised God boldly. Anila knew that, before long, her friend would encounter opposition from her family.
Perveen’s parents were furious when they learned of her conversion. They had previously arranged for her to marry a Muslim man. When Perveen again refused, she ran away.
When Perveen’s parents could not find her, they accused Anila and her pastor of kidnapping her. They had Anila arrested. Anila was slapped and beaten in front of her parents for over nine hours. Finally she was taken to prison.
Anila’s pastor and his family were taken to prison on the following day. Anila and her pastor experienced horrible tortures in jail. She was whipped sixteen times (five times would make a normal man pass out). When they were released, Anila could not sit for two months, and her pastor could barely walk from the bruises on his hips and thighs.
Perveen was later found by her family. In Muslim nations, children are often severely beaten for converting to Christianity. Others are killed by their own parents or siblings for apostasy, converting to another faith.
To restore the honor of his family, Perveen’s brother stabbed her to death. He then turned himself in to the local authorities. As is not uncommon in such situations, he was
eventually released without incident.
Anila was then arrested on charges of kidnapping.
She was imprisoned, then released on bail a little more than a month later. She and her family went into hiding, as their lives were threatened by radical Muslims.
For more information on Persecution today visit http://www.persecution.com/ or http://persecutionblog.com/
Never forget how Blessed we are! Remember to pray for those that suffer everyday for the name of JESUS!
Phil
Filed under: Pastor Phil's Devotions
Over the next few weeks I hope to take a look at a very powerful part of Scripture… Romans 12:1-5
Listen to the Apostle Paul…
“Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of Worship.” Romans 12:1
“Therefore…” Before Paul starts into the practical application of Christian living… He spends 11 chapters telling us who God is, who we are, and how that matters. It is vitally important that we have correct “knowledge” of God, so that it can drive us to correct application.
Question: How are feeding your mind with correct ideas of God? What are you reading? What are you listening to?
“I urge you…” Urge, is a desperate compassionate plea. Paul is not suggesting… He is begging and pleading. We should pay close attention
“brethren”, He is talking to believers.
“by the mercies of God”, Again he is connecting his passionate plea of application to knowledge of what God has done already for us.
Application: Stop and think of what God has done in your life. Thank Him for all of his blessings.
“to present your bodies” Bodies is not only referring to physical bodies (although that is a major part…) it is referring to ALL of us. Sometimes we think that Christianity is just spiritual, but it really is about Body, Mind, Soul and every other part. Our greatest form of worship is to give God our everything! He must be first in our lives.
Question: What part of your life have you not given to God? How can you sacrifice that part to God? What steps must you take to set that aside for God?
“a living” As opposed to dead! Living things are valuable.. dead things are not. Living things are active.. dead things are dead. Often times we are willing to give God the “dead” things of our lives, like our Sun mornings… but we are reluctant to give God the living things of our life like our “Friends, Pleasures, Entertainment, Free Time, Freedoms, etc…” A living sacrifice is ALWAYS COSTLY!!! An illustration of this is Abraham and his son. He was asked to give his prized possession up so that God knew who he loved more.
Question: How have you suffered for Jesus this month? What is the most costly sacrifice you made for God this month? What is something valuable you can give to God that will demonstrate your devotion to Him?
I will continue on next week in this rich passage.. so please read this verse over and over and ask yourself these questions. Take a step of boldness and put a comment down on how you plan on offering this kind of sacrifice to God!
Till next time…
Praying for you,
Phil
Filed under: Pastor Phil's Devotions
This video is incredible. It takes the messages that Daniel taught on and continues from there. If you loved the slides and pictures from space…. You will be floored by this sermon! Check it out and comment on what you think.
I pray it impacts you on the greatness of God like it impacted me!
Phil
Filed under: Sermons
Each of these sermons are put in separately so that you can load them through i tunes if you want or any other RSS feed program. To load in i-tunes, click on “Advanced” and then “subscribe to podcast” Put in this address under “URL” http://marvelatgod.wordpress.com/feed/ It will automatically add the sermons to your podcast 
