NEWS, ARTICLES, DEVOTIONS AND MORE FROM BttB...

Published 2-18-20 Read James 1:13-15 "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." Reflect What are the steps of temptation and where can they lead us? Whether or not we are willing to admit it, a majority of us a

Published 2/17/20 Read James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." Reflect What does it mean to remain "steadfast under trial"? A busy Christian couple achieves the American dream ... at the expense of their family. A church leader is praised as a moral giant--at least in public. (As for his private life, it would score a "XXX" rating.) A lone

Published 2/14/20 Read John 15:12-13 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Reflect What does it mean to lay down your life for someone? Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and when we encounter Him and see Him as He is, we can't help but be changed. Don't sink into guilt if you are more "Martha" than "Mary." Perhaps you've felt like a second-class Chris

Published 2/13/20 Read John 11:41-43 "So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.' When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.'" Reflect Do you believe that Jesus has power over death? Do you believe that He can save you? He who had the key

Published 2/12/20 Read John 11:21-22 "Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.'" Reflect Have you ever felt that God just wasn't showing up--no matter how often you prayed? How did you react? (Please explain.) For days Martha had labored over her brother's sickbed, wringing her hands in worry and watching at the window. Surely Jesus got the message. Nothing could

Published 2/11/20 Read John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." Reflect How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus has overcome the trials of this world? No matter how difficult the trial you may go through, you can expect that the Lord will ever guide you with His eye; will support you by His guardian hand; and will keep you from all evil. "The God of al

Published 2/10/20 Read 1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Reflect Do you believe God hears your prayers? (Why or why not?) If God can see you, He can hear you. He hears your prayers, and even if you can't get a word out, He understands your tears and sighs. If it's in the middle of the night and no one is around to care for you, God is there with you. H

Published 2/7/20 Read Psalm 139:1-6 "God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too--your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful--I can't take it al

Published 2/6/20 Read Psalm 34:15-18 "The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Reflect During times of trouble, do you draw close to the Lord ... or do you run? God graciously brou

Published 2/5/20 Read Psalm 73:23-26 "Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Reflect In what ways is God the strength of your heart? (Please explain.) When challenges hit, how do you respond? Ins

Published 2/4/20 Read Genesis 16:13-14 "So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are a God of seeing,' for she said, 'Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.' Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi;it lies between Kadesh and Bered." Reflect In what ways is the Lord the "God of seeing"? With tears streaming down her cheeks, my friend Terri shared how she'd reached the end of her rope: "I want to just run away--far from the tense moments at home,

Published 2/3/20 Read Psalm 23:1-3 "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Reflect In what ways is the Lord your shepherd? How do you perceive God? Is He a stern, unbending judge or policeman? Is He someone who, like your father, is looking to criticize your faults, or who might abandon you unless you straighten up and

Published 1/31/20 Read 1 John 4:13-17 "By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected w

Published 1/30/20 Read Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Reflect How do these verses make you feel, knowing that Jesus took the

Published 1/29/20 Read 1 Corinthians 8:6 "Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." Reflect Is your perception of your Heavenly Father altered by that of your earthly father? (Please explain.) In realizing how my father filters had marred my picture of God (sort of like seeing Him through dark glasses), I began taking a hard look at father issue

Published 1/28/20 Read Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' " Reflect How can you be a missionary at work, at school, at church? Be a missionary and go confidentl

Published 1/27/20 Read John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." Reflect What is the Holy Spirit teaching you? We need to live expectantly, tuned in to the Spirit. When we seek God, we learn to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit. We become sensitive to that prompting and are available when God calls us to witness His handiwork. We can find co

Published 1/24/20 Read Matthew 24:45-51 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant

Published 1/23/20 Read Luke 2:36-38 "There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." Reflect

Published 1/22/20 Read Luke 2:33-35 "The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: 'This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.'" Reflect What did Simeon mean when he said, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising

Published 1/21/20 Read Luke 2:25-32 "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms a

Published 1/20/20 Read Matthew 25:34-36 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'" Reflect What are some ways that you have encountered Christ in t

Published 1/17/20 Read John 12:25-26 "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him." Reflect Why is serving others in God's name so important? How do you and I get a new glimpse of Jesus? Mother Teresa said it is Jesus we serve in the poor, so as we get closer to them and each other, w

Published 1/15/20 Read Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Reflect What steps do you take to rely on God's strength and not your own? Striving is doing things in our own strength, worrying about pleasing people with our performance. Working while resting is doing our pr