Servanthood!

"There arose also a dispute among them as to which
one of them was regarded to be greater. And He said
to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord is over them;
and those who have authority over them are called
"Benefactors." But not so with you, let him who is the
greatest among you become as the youngest, and the
leader as the servant. For who is greater, the one who
reclines at the table, or the one who serves? It is not
the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you
as the one who serves' " (Luke 22: 24-27).

Perhaps no other Scripture shows more clearly how
desperately we need our values changed. The scene was
the last supper. All twelve of Jesus' disciple were arguing
about who would become the greatest among them. They
all expected Jesus to set up his kingdom and give each of
them the power and authority to rule over others. This
was the attitude at the very time Jesus was saying good-bye
to them, only hours from his death on the cross.

Jesus' reply revealed the disciples' wrong values. They all
wanted to be great. Why? Because they thought no other
way could show that they had personal value and significance.
They had not yet learned to prize, most of all, obedience to
the Father. Does this Scripture mean that God's servants
cannot become presidents or kings? No! They can, because the
Father places His servants everywhere. But such a person
would serve God while being president. If this truth is unclear
to you, this Book will help you understand more clearly. For now
recognize that Christians were described as those " 'who have
upset the world' " (Act 17:6). Servanthood is one of the values
that caused Christians to have that kind of impact on society
and it can continue to have that effect today!

Are you saying to yourself: If that is what awaits me, I will
surely have to rethink my values! Where will I start? The
answer is simple: Start by being honest with yourself. Launch
your journey with a willingness to be guided by the truth of
Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit. Hold in question
your past values. Examine them to determine whether they
have a legitimate role in your Christian life. Be prepared for
"old things [have] passed away... new things have come"
(2 Cor. 5:17).


*A value is something that has great worth to you.
*God's grace, mercy, and love made you alive in Christ!
*When revising your personal value system, the most important
thing you require is a model to copy.
*There's no room for any value that did not come from studying
the Model, your new Father.
*Christians can use the Bible to arm themselves against the devil's attacks.
*Nothing is more dangerous than Christians who are only halfhearted
in their walk.

NOW, LORD, UPON THY SEA OF AIR

Now, Lord, upon Thy sea of air
We trust the strength of new-found wings,
And seem toward nothingness to dare,
Adrift from dear and anchored thingd.

Grant us we pray, who thus explore
This latest world Thy will has given,
To learn the lanes of spirit more
And seek where we before have striven.

Grant them who watch the gleam of wings
Vanish beyond the sight of men
To touch unseen, eternal things
By love that leads beyond their ken.

So having in each heart Thy word,
Through trackless night, through trackless
day,
We know as surely as the bird
The safety of the unseen way;

Till we unerring move at length
On earth and air, by day or night,
As spirits go, from strength to strength,
To join the one Unhindered Flight.

Be Strong

Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift;
Shun not the struggle face it; 'tis God's gift.

Be storng!
Say not, "The days are evil. Who's to blame?"
And fold the hands and acquiesce oh shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God's name.

Be strong!
It matters not how deep intreched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long;
Faint not fight on! To-morrow comes the song.

JOSEPH: A FAVORITE SON WHO BECAME A SLAVE

" 'Seek his kingdom and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given as well' " (Matt. 6:33).

Let's track the life and career of a Bible character
who experienced phenomenal success, despite what
seemed to be impossible circumstances. His name is
Joseph. Joseph's life demonstrates that God is at work
in all of our lives, whether we recognize it or not!

Joseph was a great- grandson ofAbraham. His father,
Jacob, favored him above his 11 brothers. Genesis 37-50
is devoted to telling Joseph's success story. Joseph's brothers
had grown increasingly jealous of him because they believed
their father treated him a special. Joseph made the situation
worse when he bragged about two of his dreams. In the dreams
the symbols for his father, mother, and brother bowed down to
Joseph. The brothers were so angry they actually considered
killing him! Instead, they sold him as a slave to a group of
Midianite traders in a passing caravan on the way to Egypt.
From that point forward, Joseph's life changed dramatically!

The comforts of home disappeared. Joseph no longer enjoyed
the "favored son" status. He could not run to his father, Jacob.
He had no one to turn to but God! You might say Joseph was in
the perfect life position to learn God's kingdom agenda!