November 27‚ 2023 You Go Ahead - I'll Just WatchTERRI HESTER‚ COMPEL Training Member Lee en español "Jesus called out to them‚ ‘Come‚ follow me‚ and I will show you how to fish for people!' And they left their nets at once and followed him." Mark 1:17-18 (NLT) I walked slowly down the steps into the roped-off swimming area in the cold‚ clear‚ spring-fed water of the Homosassa River. My husband encouraged me to jump off the last step quickly and get it over with‚ so I did. The water was cold and deep - too deep for me to touch the bottom. I grabbed onto the edge of the platform for a few minutes and then swam to the boundary rope and held on tight. My heart was racing from the shock of the cold water and my efforts to stay afloat. I was way out of my comfort zone‚ and instead of staying there and letting myself adapt‚ I swam back to the steps and climbed out of the water. Sitting on the platform‚ I watched as adults and children jumped into the water over and over in spite of its depth and temperature. There was surprise‚ excitement and joy on their faces. And yet when my husband swam up to me and encouraged me to try again‚ I said‚ "You go ahead - I'll just watch." What if disciples Andrew and Simon had said that to Jesus when He invited them to leave their boats and follow Him? "Jesus called out to them‚ ‘Come‚ follow me‚ and I will show you how to fish for people!' And they left their nets at once and followed him" (Mark 1:17-18). Jesus called Andrew and Simon way out of their comfort zones - away from their homes‚ families and jobs‚ away from everything they knew. Yet when Jesus said‚ "Come‚ follow me‚" they did. They didn't respond‚ "You go ahead - we'll just watch." No‚ they immediately left their old lives and followed Christ. Several times‚ God has called me to step out of my comfort zone to do something new. I wish I could say I responded to His invitations the way Simon and Andrew did. Instead‚ my first response has almost always been‚ "You go ahead - I'll just watch." Fortunately‚ God doesn't stop inviting me to follow Him just because I hesitate. He keeps nudging me until I finally "jump into the water." Sometimes it takes a long time‚ but when I do‚ He is always there to catch me and keep me afloat while He leads me to a place where I can stand. I would have missed some amazing experiences if I hadn’t trusted Him and finally accepted His invitation to follow Him. Is God calling you to step out of your comfort zone? Is He asking you to jump into some really deep water? Trust Him. He'll be there to catch you. Following Him is always an amazing experience. Lord‚ thank You for continuing to invite me to follow You even if I hesitate at first. Please give me the wisdom and courage to follow Your call the first time You ask. In Jesus' Name‚ Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Get the lowest prices of the year in our bookstore right now! There are discounts on everything from T-shirts to our 2024 calendar‚ and all First 5 study guides are 30% off! Don't miss out on these prices while supplies last! Click here to shop our Cyber Week Sale today. ENGAGE Today's devotion writer‚ Terri Hester‚ is a member of COMPEL Training. You can find writing tips‚ inspiration and community when you follow COMPEL on Instagram‚ Facebook and Twitter. FOR DEEPER STUDY Genesis 12:1-4a‚ "The LORD had said to Abram‚ ‘Leave your native country‚ your relatives‚ and your father's family‚ and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous‚ and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.' So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed‚ and Lot went with him" (NLT). What can you do to increase your courage to follow God when He calls you out of your comfort zone? What small step can you take today toward something God is calling you to do? Tell us in the comments! © 2023 by Terri Hester. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews‚ NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post You Go Ahead — I’ll Just Watch –  Encouragement for Today – November 27‚ 2023 appeared first on GodUpdates.

1912 - Albanian National Flag adopted 1914 - 1st British woman elected political agent (Grantham‚ Lincolnshire) 1962 - 1st test flight of the Boeing 727 takes place 1973 - Neil Simon's play "Good Doctor" premieres in NYC 1980 - Soyuz T-3 carries 3 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station‚ launched 1982 - Yasuhiro Nakasone elected Prime Minister of Japan succeeding Zenko Suzuki 1985 - Cards Vince Coleman wins NL Rookie of Year 1997 - Lions' Barry Sanders becomes NFL's 2nd all-time rusher 2005 - First partial human face transplant is completed for Isabelle Dinoire in Amiens‚ France. 2013 - "Frozen"‚ the highest-grossing animated film of all time‚ starring Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell‚ is released More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1947 - Joe DiMaggio wins his 3rd MVP‚ beating Ted Williams by 1 vote 1963 - The Convention on the Unification of Certain Points of Substantive Law on Patents for Invention is signed at Strasbourg 1965 - 1966 NFL Draft: University of Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis #1 pick by Atlanta Falcons 2006 - The Canadian House of Commons endorses Prime Minister Stephen Harper's motion to declare Québécois a nation within a unified Canada. 2011 - Roger Federer claims a record 6th ATP World Tour Finals tennis title with a 6–3‚ 6–7‚ 6–3 win over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final in London‚ England 2019 - US President Donald Trump signs two bills backing Hong Kong protesters‚ which check the territories autonomy and ban the sale of munitions to Hong Kong police‚ angering China More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1929 - Billy Nair‚ South African union/SACP leader (20 yrs in Robbeneiland Prison) 1939 - Dave Giusti‚ American baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates)‚ born in Seneca Falls‚ New York 1945 - Barbara Anderson‚ American actress (Eve-Ironside‚ Mission Impossible)‚ born in Brooklyn‚ New York 1955 - Bill Nye‚ American TV host and science presenter (Bill Nye the Science Guy) and engineer‚ born in Washington D.C. 1960 - Martin van Geel‚ Dutch soccer player (Willem II)‚ born in Goirle‚ Netherlands 1966 - Edward Hall‚ British theatre director of Hampstead Theatre (Rose Rage)‚ born in England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1967 - (Héctor) Ettore Panizza‚ Argentinian composer (Aurora; Bizancio). and opera conductor‚ dies at 92 1986 - Steve Tracy‚ actor (Percival-Little House on Praire)‚ dies at 61 1995 - Giancarlo Baghetti‚ Italian auto racer (French GP 1961) and journalist/photographer‚ dies from cancer at 60 2007 - Robert Cade‚ American physician and inventor of Gatorade‚ dies at 80 2017 - Bob Seidemann‚ American photographer and album cover artist (Blind Faith; Jerry Garcia)‚ dies at 75 2021 - Eddie Mekka [Mekjian]‚ American stage and screen singer and actor (Laverne and Shirley - "Carmine - The Big Ragu")‚ dies at 69 More Famous Deaths »

Knocked up in a hurry‚ intended as a B-side and with a title the band were all originally “ashamed of”‚ Shakin' All Over was an instant hit and a huge influence over those who followed

Finally‚ the Dutch have had enough of the ungrateful Muslim freeloaders‚ rapists‚ and criminals which is why Wilders is in an excellent position to become the next prime minister of the Netherlands. 

In a coffee shop‚ Tommy explains to police that he will be attending the protest as a reporter to interview people who are marching‚ not to stir things up. Police say they can deny him freedom of the press. Apparently‚ it takes an entire brigade of Met police officers to arrest this one unarmed man. […]

Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen fired two ballistic missiles at a U.S. destroyer in the Gulf of Aden just after midnight on Monday after the vessel thwarted an attempt by terrorists to seize a tanker connected to an Israeli businessman. The Liberian-flagged Central Park chemical tanker — which is managed by Zodiac Maritime‚ a U.K. based firm that is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group — was believed to have been seized earlier in the day. However‚ the USS Mason and associated aircraft received a distress call from the vessel that the crew was under attack. Upon arrival‚ the destroyer demanded that the crew be released and the five terrorists who boarded the ship got back on their small boat and attempted to outrun U.S. forces but quickly failed. “At approximately 0141 on Nov. 27 Sanaa time‚ two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen toward the general location of the USS MASON (DDG 87) and M/V CENTRAL PARK‚” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. “The USS MASON (DDG87)‚ which is part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group‚ was concluding its response to the M/V CENTRAL PARK distress call at the time of the missile launches. There was no damage or reported injuries from either vessel during this incident.” The missiles did not reach the destroyer; it is not clear if they were shot down. “Maritime domain security is essential to regional stability‚” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla‚ USCENTCOM commander. “We will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international shipping lanes.” On Nov. 26‚ the USS MASON (DDG 87)‚ with allied ships from our coalition counter-piracy task force (TF 151)‚ and associated aircraft responded to a distress call from the M/V CENTRAL PARK‚ a commercial vessel‚ that they were under attack by an unknown entity. Upon arrival‚… pic.twitter.com/ASmM3b0xrf — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 27‚ 2023 U.S. forces in the region have been attacked at least 66 times by various Iranian-backed terrorists since October 17‚ just 10 days after Hamas terrorists‚ who are also backed by Iran‚ launched an unprecedented terrorist attack against Israel. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said on Sunday that the only way to stop the attacks would be to launch a “massive retaliation to make it clear we will not tolerate these attacks on Americans.”

When we tell others about Christ‚ it is important that we clearly communicate the biblical concept of belief. One of the easiest ways Satan can keep people from trusting Christ is to have God’s servants distort this concept.