Try moving away from yourself

FAITH:

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Paul laid down guidelines for proper worship. He emphasized the importance of prayer and orderly worship.

Prayer is an important part of public worship.

We live in a society that is reasonably organized. Put a letter in the box, an it usually ends up where you want it to go. Order an item from a catalog, and it usually comes to you in the right size, color, and model. Ask someone to provide you a service, and it is reasonable to expect that it will work our that way. In other words, we are used to results in response to our arrangements. That is why prayer can be discouraging for some of us. How can we predict the result? We are tempted to abandon prayer as a viable exercise and try getting the results ourselves.

But the fact is that my prayer life cannot be directly tied to the results I expect or demand. I have had many opportunities by now to see that the things I want God to do in response to my prayers can be unhealthy for me. I have begun to see that worship and intercession are far more the business of aligning myself with God's purposes that asking Him to align with mine.

Henri Nouwen says it best when he writes:
"Prayer is a radical conversion of all our mental processes because in prayer we move away from ourselves, our worries, preoccupation, and self-gratification---and direct all that we recognize as ours to God in the simple trust that through His love all will be made new." by Gordon MacDonald

Applying it: Worship God today and join with other Christians this Sunday in public prayer, singing and Bible teaching. Let corporate worship become a first priority to you.
Exploring it: Worship--1 Chronicles 16:29; Nehemiah 9:2-3; Psalm 100:2; Jeremiah 7:2-3; John 4:24

FRIENDS:
Dear Jesus, Your love is perfect and steadfast and I am humbled by Your love and Mercy. You went to Calvary so that I might have eternal life. Your love changed everything in my life and for all eternity and I thank You, Jesus, for Your priceless gift and for your love. You loved me first and I will return You love today and forever. In you name, Amen

BIBLE CHALLENGE
January 22
Matthew 9:1-13; Acts 13:1-25; Psalms 21; Genesis 46-47
January 23
Matthew 9:14-26; Acts 13-25-52; Psalms 22:1-11; Genesis 48

Questions to ponder on the picture of some of the distinctive facets of the church's relationship to God
1. Using the figure of a building, what is Christ to the structure?
1 Peter 2:6, 7; Ephesians 2:20
Notice a slightly different figure in 1 Corinthians 3:11. The apostles and prophets are in the foundation as they completed the revealing of Christ. (Ephesians 3:5)
2. What relationship do Christians bear to the structure?
1 Peter 2:5
3. Who places them in the structure (church) according to Acts 2:47?
Compare with 1 Corinthians 12:18
4. Who are the priests in this temple of God?
1 Peter 2:5, 9
5. How does the presence of God dwell in His house?
Ephesians 2:22; 1Corinthians 3:16
6. What does Galatians 6:10 show that Christians are like?

FOOD:
Instant Hot Cocoa Mix
SERVES 50

* 4 boxes instant chocolate pudding mix
* 1 jar coffee creamer
* 1 cup cocoa powder
* 5 cups powdered milk
* 3 cups powdered sugar

1. Mix together well.
2. Store in airtight container.
3. Add 3 heaping Tablespoons mix to 6~8 oz.
4. boiling water.
5. Enjoy!

Pear Brunch Cake
Serves:8
1 can (16 oz) pear halves, drained
1 3/4 cups Bisquick Heart Smart mix (can use regular Bisquick)
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup fat-free milk (used the pear juice from the jar and topped that off to get enough liquid
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease and flour 9-inch round cake pan.
Cut pear halves into thin slices.
In medium bowl, stir together Bisquick mix, sugar, milk and margarine.
Pour into pan. Arrange pear slices in circular pattern on batter; sprinkle
with cinnamon.
Bake about 40 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center
comes out clean. Top each serving with yogurt.

FUN:

WHO KNEW???
-Eliminate ear mites. All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear...Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat dail y for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.
-Kills fleas instantly... Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.
-Rainy day cure for dog odor ..Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.
-Did You Know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately- - without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."
-Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.
-Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.
-Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.
-Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.
-Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly-- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.
-Honey remedy for skin blemishes ... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.
-Listerine therapy for toenail fungus. Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
-Easy eyeglass protection.. . To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.
-Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer ... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.
-Smart splinter remover. Just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.
-Hunt's tomato paste boil cure ..cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.
-Balm for broken blisters... To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine. a powerful antiseptic.
-Vinegar to heal bruises ... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
-Quaker Oats for fast pain relief... It's not for breakfast any more! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.