Jan. 12, 2004

Kidan

Kidan

Moderator
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples
—Mark 4:34
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Today's Utmost

Have you ever been alone with God?  There's a reason we're told to pray in prayer closets, away from everyone.  Think of this, how often did Christ pray in a corporate setting (and don't count blessing food)?


Jesus knew what many of us don't want to accept.  We need to spend time alone, in a quiet place to allow God to work and show us things in our lives.  We need to open ourselves up to allow Him to show us the evil that still exists in our lives.  Sin doesn't magically flee from you as you become saved.  It sits and waits until you have a weak moment.  It stays there, and you continue to commit it, even though you don't realize it's sin.  God wants to show us these hidden sins, to allow us to grow in Him.

On my website I have an article detailing problems that youth ministries often find themselves facing and promoting.  There is one that relates to today's devotional.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Don’t Allow Down Time. Hey, kids today are MTV kids! They can’t sit still for any length of time. Silence, solitude, prayer, meditation, fasting? All totally lame in the eyes of this generation! Nope, keep ’em busy, active, noisy, and shuttling from one Christian rock concert to another. Fill every moment of your program with something to do—otherwise you’ll lose their attention (which would be disastrous because then they’d have to pay attention to God and their souls).
Ten Rules....
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 We need to stop this constant on-the-go lifestyle that we lead.  The old phrase 'Stop and smell the roses' applies even more so today than it did when it was coined.  But instead of smelling roses, we need to "Stop and listen to God."



Silence, solitude, prayer, meditation, and fasting, these are the tools to a closer walk with God.
 
One of my goals this year is to read "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster. Solitude is one of the classic disciplines he covers.
 
I've noticed this, too - without giving it over to God, sin loves to fester deep down, until something suddenly happens, and the sin that I thought was gone suddenly comes back.

Ah, my humanity.
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Kidan i read those rules... I was wondering if what was ment by the title is that a successful ministry is different from one that promotes spiritual growth?
 
No, it's a stab at those youth ministers that measure a successful ministry based upon numbers and those criteria, as opposed to a successful ministry being based upon teens growing spiritually.
 
Ohhhh.... it makes more sense now thx. Also I checked out your site its pretty cool! I think I'll read some of your rants later. Its awesome except for one part that kinda bugs me... Most people spell it "Quote" not "Qoute."
 
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