JCSM's Weekly Devotions (click here to listen!)

"Stay Healthy and Fit"

Proverb 12:18  "There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health."

Proverb 13:4  "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich."

1 Corinthians 6:19, 20  "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."

1 Corinthians 9:24-27  "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

1 Timothy 4:8, 9  "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance."

3 John 1:2  "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers."

Insight: Everyone needs to exercise and eat healthy foods.  We also need to make sure to eat the right amount of food.  Too many people don't exercise and eat too much and become lazy and unhealthy.  Make a commitment to honor and glorify God with your body and stay healthy and fit.

Prayer: "Dear Lord, bless us and make us like You.  Forgive us for not being healthy and fit and help us to turn to You in this matter.  Help us to exercise and eat right.  Help us to avoid foods that are horrible for us and help us to avoid laziness.  Thank you for your lovingkindness, your patience, and your mercy.  There is no other like You!  Give us more discipline and determination to do your will and to treat our bodies right.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

The School District of Abington Township (prior to 1963), endorsed the public school policy stating:

Each school...shall be opened by the reading, without comment, of a chapter in the Holy Bible...Participation in the opening exercises...is voluntary. The student reading the verses from the Bible may select the passage and read from any version he chooses.... There are no prefatory statements, no questions asked or solicited, no comments or explanations made and no interpretations given at or during the exercises. The students and parents are advised that the student may absent himself from the classroom or, should he elect to remain, not participate in the exercises.

If you'd like to have the citations for the footnotes above, please email us.  If you'd like to see more quotes from those who framed and founded America, please click here: http://jcsm.org/AmericasFounders/.

(This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained", by Dr. Jason Gastrich.  This book is on CD and gives over 4,000 answers to alleged Bible errors, regarding the entire Bible at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.org.  There is also a 300 question workbook that accompanies the CD-ROM.)

These quotes are from my upcoming book called, "10,000 Wise Quotes and Spiritual Sayings" (ISBN 978-0-9732797-8-8), which will be released in September.  The following sayings are from the chapter called "Prayer, Meditation, and Worship."

Are you simply telling God what you think He wants to hear?

When is the last time you sang a new song to the Lord?

God wants to hear what you honestly pray.

God will judge those who peddle the faith and those who prevent people from worshiping.

Pray for strength to live what you claim to believe.

Pray today that barriers to God's will in your life will be torn down.

How often do you sing praises? How many songs per day do you sing?

Do you take time out to sing?

If you want to be different than the majority, pray.

I am consumed with Christ.

If your troubles are long-standing, then try kneeling.

If you'd like to read more quotes, we have thousands in our archive!  Visit http://quotes.jcsm.org.