PASS IT ON...

Today the GOOD NEWS blog is seven months old! Thank you for your continued support of this ministry! To GOD be the glory, great things GOD has done!


SCRIPTURE

Deuteronomy 4:15-20 (NRSV)
Do not be led astray

Since you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire, take care and watch yourselves closely, so that you do not act corruptly by making an idol for yourselves, in the form of any figure - the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. And when you look up to the heavens and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven. But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron-smelter, out of Egypt, to become a people of his very own possession, as you are now.

DEVOTION

Friends, today’s scripture is a word of warning for all of us! It reminds us to “take care and watch yourselves closely, so that you do not act corruptly by making an idol for yourselves.”

In my mind, an idol is anyone whom we exalt higher than God and it is anything that we esteem “worthier” than our relationship with God.

By this definition, an idol can be anything. It could be a husband, wife, child, beloved dog or cat, favorite mountain, tree, or field. It could also be your house, car, 401(k), time share, job, motor home or cabin.

Anyone—or anything—that takes first place in our hearts is our idol, plain and simple!

God wants to be first place in our hearts. That is why Deuteronomy 5:6-10 says, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

Wow! God really, really wants us to remember that our salvation has been wrought at God’s hands! God wants first place in our lives and God has declared, “I am a jealous God!”

In other words, God does not share the affection of our hearts well. God knows that God has been good to us, granting unconditional love and amazing grace, abundant mercies and overflowing provision! God knows how good God has been and God desires us to know it as well!

I don’t know about you, but I want God to show “steadfast love to the thousandth generation” of my family! God has promised this kind of intimate relationship with me--and with my family--if I will but love and keep God’s commandments.

It’s so simple! All we must do is remember that God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. We must declare that Jesus did not stay dead but was resurrected, just as He promised!

As we remember this good news message, our hearts will swell with love for God! As we declare this good news message, our children--and their children--will come running asking, “What must we do to be saved!”

Now, ain’ta that good news?!

Will you share your love for God with your children today?

Dear God, today I commit to pass on the greatness of your ways to my children. I want them to know--and believe--that Jesus saves and He saves to the utmost! Please help me to share my faith in words, and in deeds, so that every generation to come will bless Your Holy Name! I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.





ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRING PASTOR YOLANDA TO YOUR HOME TOWN--Would you like to invite Pastor Yolanda Lehman to come speak or preach at your church or Christian ministry event? Please use the form to the right. Once you click “submit” your information will be privately conveyed to her email address! Pastor Yolanda is available for church anniversaries, pastoral appreciations, women’s day, missionary day, retreats, revivals, conferences, and so much more! Fill out the form to the right to get onto her preaching or teaching schedule!

LISTEN TO PASTOR YOLANDA’S SERMONS ONLINE--To listen to audio recordings of Pastor Yolanda's Sunday sermons, please visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/57814 or click the widget to the right on this page!

PUT ALL OF YOUR HOPE IN JESUS--If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

You are invited to be Pastor Yolanda’s friend on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com

LET US TEACH OUR CHILDREN...

Deuteronomy 4:9-14 (NRSV)

Teach your children

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children - how you once stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, "Assemble the people for me, and I will let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me as long as they live on the earth, and may teach their children so"; you approached and stood at the foot of the mountain while the mountain was blazing up to the very heavens, shrouded in dark clouds. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. He declared to you his covenant, which he charged you to observe, that is, the ten commandments; and he wrote them on two stone tablets. And the Lord charged me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy.

DEVOTION

Recently I’ve been reading a book regarding family finances and how to financially protect my children in the event of my untimely death. It calls for the creation of a will and trust, as well as the selection of a guardian and executor of estate.

Whilst all of these financial preparations are apropos, there is another preparation that I try to make every single day.

Each day, I whisper the Name of Jesus into the lives of my children in every way that I can think of. We start the day with morning prayers dedicating our day to Jesus. Throughout the day we say grace over our food, sing songs about the goodness of the Lord, and do charitable good works meant to inspire a life of love and service to God’s people and creation. At night, we take the Holy Bible into our laps as we read together as a family, discussing the meaning of the story we have read in Jesus’ time and in our own. And at bed time, we once again join hearts and hands thanking God for the day and praying that God’s Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

On a regular basis I recite to my children that which I believe. I make sure that they know the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Apostle’s Creed. I share with them my heart and my testimony reminding them that if anything ever happened to me, I would want them to continue to love God and trust in Jesus, remaining healthy, happy, holy, and whole until we meet again in heaven!

Today’s scripture says, “But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children…”

Wow! What a legacy! More important than houses, lands, cars, boats, jewelry, life insurance, or 401(k) plans, I want to pass down my great love for God and commitment to Jesus. More important than what will be read in my will, is what will be read in the hearts of my children, and their children, and their children’s children for generations to come.

Whilst I am grateful to be a fifth generation pastor, all of us have a rich legacy to impart to our children. All of us can pray, read scripture, worship, and serve others in the Name of Jesus! All of us can help our children to learn to do the same by our good example!

Let us never forget that God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life!

As we share this good news with our children, teaching them to love God and neighbor as themselves, we will be sharing with them the greatest legacy of all—CHRIST.

Now, ain’ta that good news?!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRING PASTOR YOLANDA TO YOUR HOME TOWN--Would you like to invite Pastor Yolanda Lehman to come speak or preach at your church or Christian ministry event? Please use the form to the right. Once you click “submit” your information will be privately conveyed to her email address! Pastor Yolanda is available for church anniversaries, pastoral appreciations, women’s day, missionary day, retreats, revivals, conferences, and so much more! Fill out the form to the right to get onto her preaching or teaching schedule!

LISTEN TO PASTOR YOLANDA’S SERMONS ONLINE--To listen to audio recordings of Pastor Yolanda's Sunday sermons, please visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/57814 or click the widget to the right on this page!

PUT ALL OF YOUR HOPE IN JESUS--If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

You are invited to be Pastor Yolanda’s friend on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com