Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 141

Devotion for Second Thursday in Lent 2012

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." ~ Matthew 7:7–12

Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us to ask and we will receive—You will give us better things than a loving earthly father gives his children. Yet in the next verse, Your Word tells us to do to others what we would have them do to us. We find it easy to ask for what we want, but not so easy to treat others the way we want to be treated. We often want to treat people who mistreat us as we believe they deserve, but You tell us to treat them as we want them to treat us—even when they don't treat us that way. Help me to show Your love to those who don't treat me right, to care for those who don't care for me, to treat others as I want to be treated. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Related Posts:Devotion for the First Tuesday in AdventScripture for the Second Thursday in LentDevotion for First Tuesday in Lent 2012Fifth Wednesday in Lent 2011Devotion for Ash Wednesday 2012Powered by Contextual Related PostsDevotion for Second Thursday in Lent 2012 was first posted on March 1, 2012 at 12:34 am.
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Devotion for Second Wednesday in Lent 2012

When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. ~ Luke 11:29–32

Lord, we are part of an evil generation. Unborn babies are murdered in the womb, immorality abounds, and people have a sense of entitlement and an unwillingness to accept responsibility for their own actions. Lead us to repentance as the men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. Lead us to follow Jesus rather than our own selfish desires. In His name we pray. Amen.

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Devotion for First Tuesday in Lent 2012

"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ~ Matthew 6:7–15

Heavenly Father, I am so glad that You forgive my sins, but it's hard for me to forgive others for pain they have caused me. Yet Jesus Himself said that if we don't forgive others, You won't forgive us. I am so little to forgive compared to the forgiveness that You offer, help to forgive the way You do. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost, now and forever, world without end. Amen.

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Devotion for First Monday in Lent 2012

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." ~ Matthew 25:31–46

Father, the world is so full of needs, I can be overwhelmed. I listen to the news and hear of wars and natural disasters and tragedies of all kinds, and I wonder what we can do. But Jesus said to feed, clothe, and visit "one of the least of these." I can't provide food for a famine-ravaged country, but I can provide a meal for a homeless person. I can't clothe all the children dressed in rags in Third World countries, but I can give used clothes to the Christian Assistance Ministry to clothe the needy right here in my community. I can't visit many people in hospitals or prisons, but I can say an encouraging word to someone who needs to feel Your love. Open my eyes to the "the least of these" that I can minister to and open my heart to do for them what I would do for You. Amen.

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Devotion for First Sunday in Lent 2012

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. ~ Matthew 4:1–11

Merciful Lord, I know Satan isn't likely to tempt me with the same temptations as He tempted Jesus. But he knows my weaknesses and tempts me in the ways that I am most likely to succumb. Help me to learn Your Word and bury it in my heart so when temptation comes, I, like Jesus can say, "Be gone, Satan!" In the name of Jesus Christ, who died for my sins. Amen.

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Devotion for First Saturday in Lent 2012

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." ~ Luke 5:27–32

Lord, as Levi followed when Jesus said, "Follow me," let me follow You without hesitation. Help to remember that I am sick and need a physician and to call upon the Great Physician, Jesus, who atones for my sin and heals me. In His name. Amen.

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Book Review: Four Part Harmony by Barri Bryan

Four Part Harmony by Barri Bryan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On one hand, I would be inclined to like this book because the author is a very dear friend of mine, and she dedicated the book to me and sent me a copy. On the other hand, I would be inclined not to like the book because I am usually not a big fan of poetry. So the result is that my natural inclinations cancel each other out, and my review is based totally on my reaction what I read.

Four Part Harmony is composed of four short books.

Touch Me contains poems of love and loss, happiness and regret—deeply emotional. My favorite in this section is After the Fact. It touched me deeply and brought tears to my eyes. He Said She Said brought a smile and chuckle.

Highway Thirty Five South may be my favorite section because the poems are about sights and scenes on a highway I know well, and I recognized many of the places described. I appreciated that something as mundane as an abandoned car became the subject of a poem that creates a scene in the reader's eye and an old cemetery brings thoughts of life and death.

Point of Reference is filled with poems about flowers and places and seasons and times and challenges and emotions. I wonder where the author came up with the poem Affliction, about having a barbed wire tongue. It certainly can't be from her own experiences as she is one of the sweetest people I know!

Thursday's Child more closely fits what I think of as poetry. To me these poems were more esoteric and philosophical. Although this was my least favorite section, it would probably have strong appeal for poetry aficionados.

The best way to explain how much I liked this book is this: I intended to open the file to make sure I could read it … and I read the entire book before closing it. Once I started reading, I wanted to keep reading. That is not my usual reaction to poetry, but it demonstrates how enjoyable Barri Bryan's poems are.

View all my reviews

Be sure to come back on March 16th for an interview with Barri Bryan!

Disclaimer: The author is a dear friend of mine who dedicated the book to me and sent me a copy. However, I had no obligation to write a favorable review and I did not receive any compensation for my review. My friendship with the author and the gift of the book did not influence my review; nor was I influenced by the fact that I am not usually a fan of poetry. The only thing that influenced my review was my reaction to the book when I read it.

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Devotion for First Friday in Lent 2012

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." ~ Matthew 9:14–15

Heavenly Father, Jesus' disciples spent time with Him when He was here on earth, and Your desire is for me to spend time with You. Whether I am fasting and using mealtimes to pray or adding extra time to my daily devotions, help me to focus on You, listen to Your voice, and experience Your presence. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Devotion for First Thursday in Lent 2012

"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" ~ Luke 9:22–25

Lord God, I want to take up my cross daily and follow You, but sometimes I get bogged down in the cares and busy-ness of the world. Lead me by Your Holy Spirit to remember what is important to my eternal life and to read Your Word, spend time with You in prayer, and listen to Your voice. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Devotion for Ash Wednesday 2012

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ~ Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18

Heavenly Father, I want people to know when I give, pray, or fast. But Your Word reminds me that the only One who should know is You. Help me to remember that what I do I do for You. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

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