Youth and Old Age For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him - Genesis 21:2 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. Sarah, Abraham's wife, was well past her child-bearing years when Isaac was conceived. It is evident that no one was more surprised by this event than Abraham and Sarah themselves. Sarah even says, shortly afterward, "Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age" (7). It truly was an amazing and unthinkable blessing, that God would help Abraham and Sarah to see, even in their old age, fruitfulness. But many elderly men and women today seem equally surprised at the possibility that God could use or bless them, when they seem to be past the most fruitful, and productive, and energetic years of their lives. But, while God may not give them the ability to bear children at 100 years old, God is still able to use them mightily and joyfully in his kingdom. Perhaps you don't have the strength you used to have. Perhaps you don't feel as useful in the church as you once were. But there are still prayers to be offered up, grandchildren and great grandchildren to be taught the ways of God, and encouraging phone calls and visits to be made. God can make you fruitful, even in your old age. Sarah was so shocked by this revelation, she literally giggled with glee. She said, "God has made me laugh." May you find the joy of godly usefulness, even in old age. http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/youth-and-old-age-6/

Strength and Encouragement Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong - 1 Corinthians 16:13 As Paul concludes his first, and scathing, letter to the church at Corinth, he leaves them with a rapid-fire set of short directives. "Watch!" Paul says. You have already succumbed to many of Satan's lies and temptations, but it is never too late to shut the gate and to watch for his attacks. It is never too late to vigilantly defend your heart and mind and life and family. Stand fast in the faith. In the Bible, God has been gracious enough to give us the perfect revelation of truth. Do not take it for granted. Do not taint it because you are too lazy to learn it or too proud to submit to it. Stand fast in the cohesive and complete faith of Jesus Christ and his gospel. Quit you like men. Do not be children in your understanding, in your strength, or in your dedication to duty. Grow in grace and in your knowledge of Jesus Christ, and live your life according to the maturity that is becoming a child of God. Be strong. We might be aggravated with someone who, when we are feeling low or discouraged, simply says, "Be strong." And, yet, there is wisdom in simply reminding ourselves of our responsibility before God. Do not be intimidated. Do not give up or give in. Be strong for the cause of Christ. http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/strength-and-encouragement-6/

Proverbs Despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: for whom the LORD loveth he correcteth - Proverbs 3:11-12 Do not despise, or make light of, the chastening hand of God in your life. How does one make light of God's correction, when it obviously feels so heavy? By not recognizing his hand in the trial, or by not confessing its benefit even when you may not understand it, or by not acknowledging your need for it when it comes. Sometimes God chastens and corrects us in order to circumvent worldly ambitions; at other times it may be in order to remove self-righteous pride, or self-sufficient delusions. Although you may not be walking in any known or gross sin at the moment, ask yourself this question: "have I no pride to destroy?!" It is because God is not weary of you that he chastens you; so do not grow weary of him. You see, the child of God is never punished, because of Christ's work on the cross (he took our punishment for us). However, the child of God is always corrected, because of Christ's work on the cross -- God will not give up his work of sanctification because Christ has made us eternally his. God does not delight in your suffering, but he does delight in you, through Christ, and so he sends suffering in order to shape and mold you into the image of Christ. Dear believer, there is nothing virtuous or good about the suffering you are facing right now. But there is virtue and goodness in the One who sends it. http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/proverbs-6/

Patience and Hope Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience - James 1:2-3 What a strange command this is, to count (perceive, think) it a joyful thing when difficult and dark trials come your way. Trials, by their very nature, cause pain. Why would we be joyful to find ourselves in the middle of such an ordeal? Thankfully, James gives us the reason for the command so that we can better understand and appreciate it. Know this, James says: this test of your faith is working (present tense) patience in you. What is so great about patience? A good question, since James seems to think that, if we trade comfort and painlessness for trials and patience, we come out ahead. What makes patience so precious or valuable that it is worth the pain we have to go through in order to get it? Simply put, patience means contentment with one's current situation (see verse 4). Now there are many people who have good health, plenty of money, popularity, and everything else a person might think of as the key to happiness -- and yet they are miserable. Why? Because they have not found contentment. On the other hand, we find men and women in the New Testament who are perfectly happy in the midst of miserable circumstances. Paul and Silas sing in prison, John rejoices in exile on Patmos, the apostles are thrilled to suffer for the sake of Christ. Why? Because these saints learned to wait on God's perfect timing, wisdom, and power to accomplish his perfect purposes. This gave them total contentment, a patient and joyful spirit, even in the worst situations. Are you neck-deep in a trial of your own? Count it a joy to learn contentment in the school of Christ. http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/patience-and-hope-6/

Church Life If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother - Matthew 18:15 Jesus here gives the prescription for offenses within the body of Christ. Do you believe his medicine is effective? Will you apply its healing power to your life? If a member of the body has injured you in some way, Jesus says to speak with him or her about it in private. Do not broadcast the injury around the church. Do not try to gather a group of people "on your side" within the church. In fact, do not bring it up with anyone else at all! Tell him his fault between you and him alone. That is the first and necessary step toward genuine reconciliation and peace within the body. If this labor does not work, Jesus gives further instructions in the verses that follow. But before moving on to the next "step" of discipline, consider this first and foundational admonition carefully. Have you spoken to the offending person, in complete privacy? Was your goal to gain your brother or sister, as Jesus clearly intimates it should be? Or were you simply seeking to offend someone in return? Do you believe the Great Physician knows how to heal his own church? Then apply his cure liberally to your own heart and friendships and see its marvelous power to restore, refresh, and renew the body of Christ. http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/church-life-6/

Celebration of Life Service for Brother Cyrus B. Ellis Actions Speak Louder Than Words James 2:14-22 AMPC [14] What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul]? [15] If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day, [16] And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep yourself warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do? [17] So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). [18] But someone will say to you then, You say you have faith, and I have good works. Now you show me your alleged faith apart from any good works if you can, and I by good works of obedience will show you my faith. [19] You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder in terror and horror such as make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin! [20] Are you willing to be shown proof, you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from good works is inactive and ineffective and worthless? [21] Was not our forefather Abraham shown to be justified (made acceptable to God) by his works when he brought to the altar as an offering his own son Isaac? [22] You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works. …

Serving Others Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ - Galatians 6:2 To bear each other's burdens means to emotionally, financially, physically, and -- most of all -- spiritually support one another in times of need. Are you ready for such a commitment? The church of Jesus Christ is not a social club or fraternity. It is the family of God, committing to one another that we will grow together, rejoice together, and hurt together as a body. No member of God's family should ever have to bear grief, or pain, or problems on their own. Interestingly, Galatians is the New Testament's preeminent work on grace versus law. Paul is writing to the saints in Galatia and warning them against the bondage of legalistic, works-based attempts at salvation. Yet, in that very context Paul declares the need for us to "fulfill the law of Christ." Which is it, we might ask? Law or grace? It is the law of Christ, because of the grace of Christ. Because of Christ's sin-bearing, yoke-sharing ministry to us through grace, we are to bear one another's burdens and reflect our Savior. We are to fulfill the selfless law of Christ's grace, which Paul has already summed up for us in the single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (5:14). Do you grieve when you lose a loved one? Then you can help bear your neighbor's burden, as if it were your own. Do you struggle with discouragement? Then love your neighbor as yourself and give the same encouragement that you yourself would desire in the same situation. http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/serving-others-6/

Marriage & Family If any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God - 1 Timothy 5:4 How many nursing homes would be out of business if this command was followed more consistently by Christians? While there are certain situations that may require special care that only a medical facility can provide, there are a host of people who simply sit neglected by their own children and descendants. Paul tells Timothy, in no uncertain terms, that it is the responsibility of the children, or other descendents, of a widow to care for her needs themselves. It is not acceptable to throw one's parents, or grandparents, or great aunts and uncles, upon any other system or government, or even church, to fulfill what is our obligation. Part of honoring our parents, Paul is clearly intimating, is caring for their personal and physical and financial needs as they grow older and weaker. There is no excuse for dereliction of this duty. The fact that Paul commands us to learn to show this piety at home reveals the fact that it does not agree with our natural inclination, our inborn selfishness. Yet, the fact that it can be learned also reveals the unflinching responsibility that is ours. You are not medically inclined? Learn to show piety and love at home. You are not personally wealthy? Learn to show piety anyway. You will have to sacrifice your own comforts and interests to care for this loved one? Learn to show piety at home. http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/marriage-and-family-6/

Decision Making It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man - Psalm 118:8 What an appropriate reminder as we make any decision, whether small or large! Don't put your confidence in other people; put your trust in God, where it will never be disappointed. We have such a tremendous temptation to put our confidence in man, don't we? Whether it is a doctor who is giving us a diagnosis and treatment schedule, or an employer who is helping to mold our career track, or psychologist who is telling us how to raise our children -- we have a tendency, by nature, to run to the "experts" with our questions and problems. But God says our first and great resort must always be him. What does his Word say about childrearing? Where does his Word say your aspirations should be? Where does his Word say healing and health ultimately come from? This does not mean we are not to take advantage of current medical knowledge, or listen to employers' advice, or ask counsel of others as we raise our children. But we must never put our confidence in the imperfect advise of even the greatest of intellects, or the closest of loved ones, or the most promising of careers. It is better -- every time, in every situation -- to trust in the Lord and to inquire prayerfully in his Word for direction, than to put confidence in any person. Do your decisions reflect this truth? http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/decision-making-6/

Prayer Rally! Praying for our Pastors & Leaders Clinton Jackmon John West Byron Craig Ed Crenshaw Yvonne Platts Justin Prayed. Love you Norristown. I tried to call all the names I know. Post shared by Minister Peggy Ann Scott

Early Prayer Time! Doors are open 5:00 am to 7:00 am. Come and start your week in the house of the Lord! Come and go as you need. "In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3 The psalmist who penned Psalm 5:3 models the attitude we should have when we pray—that of eager expectation. We should believe God will answer our prayers and diligently watch for his hand at work. The psalmist also shows us that when we pray early in the day, we have the rest of the day to anticipate God’s answer. Bottom line—when we pray, we can wait in eager anticipation for God to work on our behalf.

Gratitude Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name - 1 Chronicles 29:13 The first question we should ask is simply this: what is the "therefore" there for? In other words, why are we to give thanks and praise to God's glorious name? The answer is in the previous verse, and in David's declaration that everything we have comes from God: "Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all" (12). No matter how hard you may have worked, or how well you may have done, everything that you are enjoying ultimately comes from God's gracious hand. Do you have enough money to cover your expenses? Have you moved up the ladder at your workplace? Is your name becoming well-known as a success in certain circles? Then it is God who has given you the skills, the health, and the mind to flourish in this way. On the other hand, perhaps you have not known worldly success, or been honored as of late. Know this: God, in his perfect wisdom and with his mighty hand, has dispensed to you exactly what is best for you, if you are his. Therefore, no matter what your circumstance or situation, we thank you, God, and praise your glorious name! http://www.baptistbiblehour.org/resources/devotional/gratitude-6/