This is the day.

At Calvary


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Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.
Refrain

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary.

Refrain

Now I’ve given to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary!

Refrain

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Refrain

Thank God, this is my story. God has done everything for me, and I only hope to be able to give my life to Him. Thank God for His love and mercy.

This is the day.

Exodus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.   How do you give to God?  So many people just kind of tip God, or put money into the offering with a grudging or stingy attitude.  They think they have done a great thing, and "helped God out" with their meager and half-hearted gift.  God is the Creator of the universe, He does not need money, He does not need their "tithes."  We are told here to give out of a willing heart.  It should be a pleasure to be priviledged to be able to give back to God a portion of what He has provided for us.  This, like so many other things, is a matter of the heart.  Do you squeeze the pennies you toss into the offering and start to cry, and mourn for your money, or do you give it to God willingly, and with a pure heart, not to be seen, but because of what God has done for you?  Do I give that way?  The principle is there, be thankful for what God has done for us.

This is the day. for 8/27

Exodus 23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.   Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  That is a very popular statment, but it is also a Biblical command.  God is telling the children of Israel here that they need to remember how they were treated, and then, because of those memories, treat others in a right way.  Christian, do you remember where you came from?  Can you see that there are others all around you who are where you were?  Why would you be hateful to them, and try to "shove religion down their throats?"  Why would you act like you are so much better than they are?  Hey, if you are that way, maybe its because you forgot where you came from.  God said to Israel, "don't forget where you came from."  You and I can be oppressive to those around us, and make them feel useless and worthless, or we can remember how it used to be with us, and do our best to treat them with the love of God, showing them the goodnes of God that will lead them to repentance.

This is the day. for 8/25

Exodus 8:32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go. Exo_9:7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. Exo_9:12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses. Exo_9:14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. Exo_9:34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. Exo_9:35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses. Exo_10:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: Exo_10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. Exo_10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. Exo_11:10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land. Exo_14:4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. Exo_14:5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? Exo_14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. All of these passages deal with the hardness of Pharaoh's heart.  We have dealt with this quite a bit in recent posts.  So I just wanted to provide this warning.  Make sure that you live such a life that will be open and humble before God.  By living such a life your heart will remain tender to the "still small voice" (see I Kings 19) of God, and you will not have to get into the position that Pharaoh was in, the position of fighting against God.

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This is the day. for 8/26

Exodus 15:8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.     The word heart as used here refers to the center of the sea.  The heart is the center of our lives.  Out of it come all the issues of life.  Out of the heart the mouth speaks.  Out of the heart comes lusts and envyings, and, thereby, wars and strife.  Out of the heart comes the repentance that is necessary for salvation.  From the heart comes the desire to serve God, and the desire to live a life that is honorable to God.  Because the heart is the center of our being, it is vitally important to insure that the heart stays right with God.  Daily prayer, Bible reading, and an attitude of worship and praise will keep our hearts where they need to be, and will keep us on the right track to pleasing and serving God.

This is the day.

A Prayer to God. Thursday 7/23/09 - jpb Heavenly Father, Thy Name is exalted above all names.  Thy Word is more precious than the finest of Gold or Silver, and is quick and powerful above all forces in the universe.  Thou Who didst stretch out the Heavens with a single span of Thy infinite Hand, and Who measured the Seas in the Hollow of Thy Almighty Hand.  Unto Thee be glory and honor, praise and exaltation both now and forever more.  All thanks be given unto Thee for thy wondrous works.  May the inadequate love that my feeble flesh now feels for Thee never diminish but only ever increase.  May I ever obey Thee, and with Thy permission, be allowed to offer up my insufficient praises both now and forever. Amen.

Song and statment.

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
Refrain

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.

Refrain

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

Refrain

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

Refrain

I really like another song, that is somewhat along these lines. It is "A song the Angels Cannot sing." It tells, of "Amazing Grace" and says the Angels cannot sing about that, they can sing about creation, about the fall, about the lives of the patriarchs, about the resurrection, and about so many other things, but they cannot sing with a personal knowledge of Salvation. Won't it be interesting in Heaven, when the saints of God go marching down the street singing, and the angels have to pause, because the just don't know the words. God has been so good to us, He never gave the fallen angels a second chance, but He gives us countless opportunities to come to Him, and still some reject Him. Hey, that is a blessed "old, old story" and it is true "Jesus Saves."

This is the day. for 8/19

Nailed to the Cross


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There was One Who was willing to die in my stead,
That a soul so unworthy might live;
And the path to the cross He was willing to tread,
All the sins of my life to forgive.
Refrain

They are nailed to the cross,
They are nailed to the cross,
O how much He was willing to bear!
With what anguish and loss Jesus went to the cross!
But He carried my sins with Him there.

He is tender and loving and patient with me,
While He cleanses my heart of the dross;
But “there’s no condemnation”—I know I am free,
For my sins are all nailed to the cross.

Refrain

I will cling to my Savior and never depart—
I will joyfully journey each day,
With a song on my lips and a song in my heart,
That my sins have been taken away.

Refrain

This is a great song, and one of my favorites. My sins were nailed to the Cross,because Jesus loved me so much He died for me. Hallelujah, what a savior Jesus is. He will take away all of your sins if you will ask Him to.

This is the day.

Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. Here we see that even the Devil's servants (which by the way magicians, witches, warlocks, wizards, sorcerers, and etc. are) tell Pharaoh that God is bringing judgment.  They warn Pharaoh to give in to God, because they realize that God is too powerful to fight against.  Still Pharaoh hardens his heart, and will not give in.  Are you fighting God about something?  If you are, realize this.  Even if you would happen to "win" and stop God's convicting power on your life, if you aren't saved you will go to Hell, if you are saved you will either become useless in the work of God, or God will kill you.  Here's the point even if you "win" you are still the loser in this situation.

This is the day. for 8/18

Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.   How foolish Pharaoh was here.  He saw a little relief from the judgment of God, and decided to get even harder against God.  So often, we think that our lives, and the things we do are ok.  Convincing ourselves that God is going to overlook us because of who we are, or what we do.  Then when God sends judgment, we get hard because we think God is being unfair to us.  Then when God in His mercy gives us a little break from judgment, instead of repenting we get harder against Him.  I have said it before, and will continue to say it, may our hearts always be tender toward God.

This is the day.

Exodus 7:22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exo_7:23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

I just wanted to focus on the statement, neither did he set his heart to this also. Simply put, Pharaoh did not care what God was doing. He had let his heart get so hard toward God that he no longer cared what God was doing. He just walked away from God, and the work of God, and went about his own way. It is dangerous for any of us to develop and "I don't care" attitude, but especially it is dangerous for those of us who are or may be leaders. God wants us to be concerned about His work, and about Him. Pharaoh was not a Christian, but we Christians can be the same way, God is working, and we just don't really care. Hey, the heart can be hardened to a point of no return for either a Christian or a sinner. May God help us to have tender hearts.

This is the day. for 8/14

God is Great.

I don't even know how to say it, but God is the Greatest Being in the Universe. It is almost impossible for me to even begin to comprehend how Wonderful God is! He does not consume us because of His Mercy. He Saves us by His Grace. He Loves us even though we have done nothing to merit His Love. He measured out the Seas in His Hand, He formed the creatures incorporating mind boggling design into each of them, and adding delicate details that we may never fully understand. Then He created a man and, even though He knew man would fail, placed that man in charge of all creation. God is so infinite, so holy, so omnipresent that the human mind could spend twenty life times trying to figure out just one aspect of Him, and still fall short. Then there would be so many other aspects to try to figure out that it would simply be an impossible task. This is just random, but I believe that God deserves all the glory, praise and honor that we have. God IS great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the day.

Exodus 7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exo_7:13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exo_7:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
Exo_7:22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

The prevailing theme of all of these verses is that Pharaoh's heart was hardened. It doesn't take a whole lot for someone to harden their heart against God. It only takes a measure of unbelief, a measure of rebellion, and some self-will. Its hard to tell how many people have, at one time, been tender toward the Word of God, and have decided not to take an opportunity to trust in Him. The next time it got even easier to shy away from God, until finally their heart was hard against the Lord. We should strive to be tender to every nudge of God, and to be close to Him so that we don't develop that hardness that Pharaoh had. Yes, even a Christian can get hard against God. May we always be toward God as little children, and endeavor to never get as "wise" as Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be. Your heart does not have to be hard! God will give us a chance to accept what He has for us if we will only be tender toward Him.

This is the day. for 8/12

Exodus 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. This passage is a sad one.  The heart of Pharaoh was hardened.  God's judgment was certain on Egypt, and God was planning to plague that great land, and basically destroy all of its wealth, and its great army.  Anyone who knows the story should know that Pharaoh should have been so affected by the plagues that he should have changed his attitude toward God, but he decided to resist God, and God allowed His heart to get harder, and harder.  Pharaoh's wealth was destroyed, and his nation was destroyed because he would not give in to God.  How sad it is to see so many people in this same basic condition in the day in which we live.  Why don't they understand that God is in control, and that He is the only way to true happiness.

This is the day.

Exodus 4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.   This is a very interesting passage.  I have a couple of simple thoughts on it.  First, God was angry with Moses because Moses was making excuses for why he could not serve God.  How often we are guilty of the same thing.  Even worse, we make excuses for why we "can't" hold a certain standard, and why it would be "impossible" to make that particular sacrifice for the Lord.  Wow, what a weak bunch of lilly-livered Christians we are.  When I ponder how the early Christians would not even fight back against lions, torches, whips, and certain death, all while having the knowledge that if they denied Christ verbally they could be set free, it almost makes me sick at my own feeble attempts to serve Christ.  Then I look around and see so many other professing Christians who don't even try as hard as I do.  It becomes easier and easier to see why the forces of Satan seem to have such a grip on our society.   The young people who are coming up, seem to fall into one of three categories.  First, those who try to be something they are not.   Some may be surprised to find out that a high percentage of young people who go to Bible College, or who graduate from Accademies aren't even saved.  Yes, that is correct, there is an ever-growing number of young people in "Christian service," who are not Christians.  What a shame that easy-believism has deceived so many into a false sense of salvation.  Second, there are those who don't  really give a care, this, unfortunately is the category into which the majority of young Christians fall today.  They have cell phones and e-mails, and Facebook and MySpace, and they just don't really need God.  So many of our young "preachers" are so consumed with the things of the world like movies, internet, chat rooms, and the entire entertainment industry.  The pursuit of money and fame and so many other things drag Christian young people down, and make them completely complacent about the work of God.  The final category is the few, (and that number may even be an exageration) who are really dedicated to serving God.  Oh, for young men and women who would skip a meal, or not eat all day, or take thirty minutes, or an hour to be alone with God.  What could happen if Christians would consistently read their Bibles, if we would ferverently pray for sinners,  if we would willingly sacrifice our comforts, our pleasures, and our talents and abilities into the service of God.  Men like David, and Paul did not "just happen," they spent time with God.  They were not complacent about their service in the King's army, they fought with vigor.  Most of us would have quit when it came to the Goliaths and the beatings that these two men took on.  How could they suffer so much?  God was with them!!  They walked with Him, and He blessed their lives.   My Second thought is this.  (Going back to the theme of the heart.)  Aaron was coming to meet Moses, and God said Aaron would be glad in his heart. Why?  It could be that Aaron already knew that God was going to use Moses to be the deliverer of Israel.  Just think about it, Israel has been in bondage for 400+ years, and Aaron knows that Moses is a very special person.  Now Aaron has come to find Moses, and to join him on this very special mission, delivering Israel from bondage.  Most of this is conjecture, but do you remember the time you came looking for a deliverer?  Do you remember how you left?  I know there was great joy "in my heart,"  when I finally met my Redeemer.

Interesting Statement

Thought for Today: "A pessimist is a man who looks both ways when he's crossing a one-way street." — Laurence J. Peter, Canadian-born educator and author of "The Peter Principle" (1919-1990).



We often tend to be just this way with our Christian lives. We are looking for God to work in a direction that we are not even headed in. We tend to look to the right when the danger is on the left, and vice versa. Just a thought, the road to heaven is a one way road. How often are we looking the other way when we are supposed to be travelling toward Heaven?

This is the day.

Genesis 45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.   Here we see Jacob's heart fainting.  He had believed that Joseph was dead, and had mourned for Joseph for years, but now his sons were telling him that Joseph was alive.  Naturally, unbelief was Jacob's first reaction.  Jacob had made Joseph his favorite son, and had lost him because of his other son's jealousy, now Jacob had the opportunity to see him again.  How sad it is that, as Christians, often when the things we would like to happen the most, happen, we doubt that God has actually allowed this to happen to us.  We faint in our hearts and wallow in unbelief, rather than just enjoying the blessings and provision that God has given us.  Human nature is to expect the worst, but, as Christians, our new nature should begin to be programmed to expect great things from God.  We sing songs like, "There's nothing my God can't do." and then flounder and dobt His power.  Oh, that our relationship with God would become one of faith and trust, rather than one of doubt and fear!  Truly, God can do anything, anywhere, at any time, and any way that He wants to.  What a wonderful God we serve!  Do you know Him?  Has He done the greatest work of all in your life?  Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Saviour?  If not, He is waiting to do something wonderful in your life.  Why don't you accept Him today?

This is the day.

Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.   What a powerful verse this is!  God will not be pleased with us if we are in the flesh.  In the Bible we are told of three basic categories of sin: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.  Isolating the lust of the flesh, and applying it to this verse, we can say that "flesh" would apply to the sensual elements of live.  Our touch, smell, hearing, and tastes would therefore be included in this category.  Again, using this verse we can say that if what we are doing primarily feeds our sinful appetites, feelings, or sounds it cannot please God.  I was even thinking about what we listen to in the form of gospel music, if we are listening to this to feed our fleshly desire for music, are we pleasing God?  When we follow our feelings without consulting God about the answer, are we pleasing God?   When we give in to fleshly appetites, are we pleasing God?  According to Romans 8:8, no!  Our desire should be to please God.  May God help us to remember that we are citizens of anouther country, and that we can be free from the flesh if we will only submit to God, and let Him work through us.

This is the day.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? We can be deceived in our motives(practices).  Annanias and Sapphira probably thought they were doing a good thing by giving money to the church, when they were really lying to God.    Often we tend to think that we are "serving God" for all the right reasons.  We dress right, act right, talk right, and walk in the right direction.  However, when we examin ourselves in our hearts, what is our motive?  Do we follow God to be seen of men?  Do we go to church where we go, in order to be seen, or to be able to say that we go to church?  Do we give to the church just because that is the thing to do?  Why do we do what we do?  If we find it easier to skip church than to go, we probably have the wrong motive.  If we grudgingly give our money in the offering, we probably have the wrong motive.  If we enjoy the controversy of identifying with a strong church, and like to argue with others about our stand, we probably have the wrong motive.    Our motive for serving God should be two-fold.  First, it should be out of gratitude for what He has done for us, and to be pleasing to Him.  Second, we should desire to see souls saved for God's glory.  Many of our other motives are simply wrong, and should be removed from our lives.   The heart will deceive you, if you are not careful.  May we always strive to be close to God so that He may have supreme control of our hearts.  If He has control of our hearts, our hearts will not deceive us, rather they will direct us into a walk that is pure, and consistant.

This is the day. for 8/5

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?   The heart can deceive you in your perception.  Think of Saul the King of Israel.  He was not right with God, and began to think evil of David.  David loved Saul, fought for him, and even kept his own men from killing Saul.  However, Saul made up his mind, because his heart was not right with God, that David was out to get him.   As Christians, we should be very careful not to allow ourselves to fall in this trap.  We can look at someone, and think that they have a problem with us, or that they are out to get us when their intentions are completely innocent.  We can say, "I know what they are thinking.", but we really don't.   When we get out of sorts with God, we tend to start thinking that people are out to get us.  We should try to maintain the attitude that Jesus preached in the gospels.  The attitude of turning the other cheek, and of loving even our enemies.  David was soothing Saul's soul with music the first time Saul tried to kill him.  David was not standing against Saul, but was rather trying to help him.  We should all try to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."     We need to bring our minds into subjection to God, then we can have a real relationship with Him, and we will be able to think good things about others.

This is the day.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Following Yesterday's Post, I thought this would be a good time to give my own personal testimony of salvation. I was born into a home where my parents were really trying to do right. Both my parents were in church and were trying to serve the Lord, my Dad was even "preaching." My parents were not saved when I was born, but got saved only a few years after my birth. I do not remember unsaved parents. However, God does not have grandchildren! At the age of four years old, I realized my sinful condition, and went forward, was dealt with, and made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. I did not, however, get saved at four years old. Although many young people in my position at that time would have always been told they were really saved, I thank my Dad and Mom for emphasizing the importance of having assurance of salvation. I went on in a state of doubts and fears for eleven more years, not knowing whether or not I was saved, and never being free from the conviction of the Holy Spirit in my life. During this time I made numerous "professions," and tried to sooth my nagging conscience by pinpointing dates and times, and trusting in them to take care of my conviction.
When I was fifteen, things changed! On a Tuesday in September, my twelve year old sister began to complain with severe stomach pain. Wednesday, a week and a day later, she had passed away. The awful realization that I was not saved, sunk in, and I became consumed with fear, and began to have anxiety attacks when I was left alone. I ended up going through counselling to learn to cope with these fears. This worked, to a point, but there was a much greater need in my life than learning to cope, I still needed to be saved.
On May 31, 2001, my aunt called my brother, who was already saved, and me inviting us to a revival meeting at Nimitz Missionary Baptist Church in Nimitz, WV. I went with them, though reluctantly. J. Bennett Collins was preaching that night, and he preached on Adam and Eve, and why the were saved. At the end of the service, I raised my hand, and then go up to leave. Mr. Collins met me at the back door, and asked if he could help me. I broke down and went to the front with him. He began to talk to me, and then showed me John 1:12. I realized that I was a sinner, and accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour that night. Almost immediately the fears and anxiety left my life, and I have been able to deal with it ever since.

Please, do not fall into Satan's trap of accepting a false profession. If you have no assurance of salvation. You probably are not saved and need to let God give you the power (John 1:12) to become His son.

This is the day.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Again, speaking of the deceitfulness of the heart. Another thing that comes to my mind about how the heart deceives so many, is in their profession. So many people have gone to the altar, and said a prayer, only to get up in the same condition that they came in. The heart of man has an element about it that allows it to be religious, and therefore convince a sinner that he/she is ok. How sad the passages are in the New Testament where Jesus says He will tell many in the day of judgment, "I never knew you." Even though these people will claim to have lived right, and to have done mighty and wonderful works in the name of Jesus, they will have missed the most important thing of all, that is, repentance and true acceptance of the Saviour. Friend, please don't let your heart deceive you into thinking you are saved when you are not. The Bible says you believe with your heart, and that you will have the witness of the Holy Spirit in your heart, if these two things do not add up in your life, then you need to examine your heart, and see if you are really a child of God. If you don't have assurance, you more than likely need to really do business with God, and quit pretending to be a Christian.

This is the day. for the week of 7/27-7/31

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

God truly blessed in this week of Family Camp! The preaching from God's Word was awesome, and God only knows what will come as a result of His people being saturated with His Word all this week!

That was a kind of side note.

My thought for this devotion is that the heart will deceive you. There are numerous areas in which this can happen, but I would like to deal with one particular area today. This area is purity. The world today is an exceedingly impure place. Ungodly thoughts, imaginations, and actions run rampant in our society, and greatly affect our young people, as much as, or more than the older people. Some Biblical examples of this attitude can be seen.

The example that comes to mind, and that I will use for this devotion, is that of Amnon, David's oldest son. He had allowed lust to consume him over a young woman, and then a friend of his convinced him to wickedly take matters into his own hands. Amnon had been allowing his heart to over-rule his head. As Christians, Christ is our head, and His Word is the Law for our lives. When we begin to "follow our hearts," we often disregard our Head (Christ) and allow ourselves to think or do impure things as a result. We must always do our very best to submit to Christ, our Head, and those who He has put over us (parents, pastors, etc.), so that we may remain pure and spotless before God and man.