peace

Seek peace and pursue it.  1 Peter 3:11b, Psalm 34:14b

Pursuing Peace

A commentary I once read said that resentment comes from a Latin word, resentir, meaning to feel over and over again. Resentment can be repeatedly re-experiencing unforgiven resentments.

Along these lines, shoes of peace are part of the essential ‘armor of God’ that St. Paul tells us to put on each day (Ephesians 6). So what are shoes of peace?  

The Bible tells us that peace is a person. Jesus. For he himself is our peace. The Bible also says to seek peace and pursue it, not just wait around until it might happen to show up. (1Peter 3)

Martin Luther King, Jr., is credited with saying, “The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.” So I guess the bottom line is, I am to be assertive about forgiveness, whether I have something against somebody else, or someone has something against me. Forgiveness keeps the door open, instead of slamming it shut.

-sally i kennedy

....back

In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. (Psalm 78:32)

God miraculously delivered the Israelites after 430 years of slavery in Egypt. Time and time again God demonstrated His power and dominion over nature and mankind as He rescued and guided the Israelites to the land He had promised them.

He split the Red Sea, making the water stand firm like a wall on either side of them and allowed the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. (Psalm 78:13)

He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.(Psalm 78:14)

He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water (Psalm 78:15)

He rained down food (manna) from the sky for the people to eat (Psalm 78:24)

He rained meat (quail) down on them and they ate until they were filled (Psalm 78:27-29)

 

Miracle after miracle, and yet the Israelites continued to sin against God..."in spite of his wonders, they did not believe." But, before we're too quick in pointing a finger of disgust at the Israelites, let's inspect our own lives.

What kind of miracles has God done in your life? How about God's demonstration of his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Or the miracle of new life through believing in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:4). Our own relationship with God is nothing short of a miracle!

Take some time today and look back. . . look back at all that God has done in your life. Keep your eyes on Him so that it will not be said of you. . . "In spite of God's wonders, his or her heart was not loyal to God."

-Marji "Mike" Kruger

words

Everyone needs a verse of Scripture to call his own. Here is mine.

Old Job was having a time of it. After the death of his children and the loss of his wealth, disease racked his body, leaving him covered with sores. Then, three friends showed up to comfort him - with accusations and blame. He needed a defense attorney and got instead three prosecutors!

The first speaker begins to set Job up for a fall. He's going to accuse him of having sin in his life which has brought the judgment of God. But first, he reminds him of the way God has used him in the past.

"Your words have stood men on their feet; you have helped the tottering to stand." (Job 4:4)

Tell me if that is not one of the finest attributes one man could ever pay another. It has become something of a goal for my preaching, that my sermons would be so filled with life and faith that the falling and the fallen would hear and stand up again and get back into life.

What power words have...

When Eric Plumb entered the fourth grade, he missed the first two weeks due to a case of the mumps. As a result, he never caught on to the math they were studying that year. The teacher was a crabby, negative, cruel woman who was retiring at the end of that school term, the worst possible representative of her profession. She pounced on Eric and held him up to ridicule at every opportunity. When he missed an answer in arithmetic, which was often, she would say, "Eric is dumb. Eric Plumb is dumb. Eric Plumb is plumb dumb." The students laughed at her put-down, no doubt glad someone else was her target for a while. To no one's surprise, Eric grew to hate school.

Not until the tenth grade did something happen to change Eric's perception of school. It was an English literature class, just after lunch when students and teachers alike had trouble concentrating. During a discussion of Shakespeare, the teacher was stunned to see Eric raise his hand for an observation, something he had never done before. When he finished, she said, "Why Eric - how perceptive." For the rest of the day, Eric basked in the glow of those words. "Perceptive. She thinks I'm perceptive."

Eric says, "I'm not going to tell you I became class valedictorian as a result of her comment, and I still hate math. But that one word from my English teacher turned around my self-confidence and helped me believe that maybe I wasn't the total loser I had come to believe. I became a different student for the rest of my schooling."

Cut down by one teacher; stood up by another. The incredible power of words. No wonder Scripture describes the Word of God as a two-edged sword. In a sense, all words are double-edged with power to cut and power to heal.

A couple of years ago, Frank Pollard retired from a lengthy pastorate of the First Baptist Church of Jackson, Mississippi. This man is so accomplished a speaker that Time magazine once named him one of America's top preachers. Most people are shocked, however, to learn of his humble beginnings. Frank tells it on himself.

When Frank was a child in Olney, Texas, a man named Claude Olney sought him out for his Sunday School class of ten year old boys. He introduced Frank to Jesus, the greatest thing one person can do for another. Then, when Frank was in college and God called him to preach, practically no one believed in him. His classmates wondered how someone too shy to speak to them could ever stand in a church and address crowds.

When Frank gave his first sermon, instead of coming up to shake his hand, people headed for the doors. Only one man in town, Mr. Beverly King - the richest man in the little community -walked up and bragged on him and told him, "I know you will make it." In college, Frank worked as a janitor of the Baptist Student Center and when no one else was around, would preach to the empty seats. He grew discouraged and frequently thought of quitting. And he would have, except for one thing. Every week, Frank Pollard received a postcard from Mr. King back in Olney saying, "I love you, Frank. I believe in you. You can do it."

Frank Pollard confesses, "I am in the ministry today because of that man." A man whose words stood him on his feet.

Standing people on their feet with words is a most Christ-like thing.

Jesus said to a paralytic, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And he did. He said to a fallen woman, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." To a thief dying on the cross, Jesus said, "Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise."

Bill Glass was an All-American at Baylor and an All-Pro defensive end for the Cleveland Browns football team. These days, he spends a lot of time in prisons telling men how to be truly free by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. I first heard him over thirty years ago tell of a great lesson he learned early in his football playing.

"When I started playing football in school," Bill said, "I thought when you got knocked down was a good time to get some rest. Then I realized you get stepped on and fallen upon, so I started getting up. Then, I began to notice that in college and pro ball, most of the tackles are made by people who were either knocked down and got back up or knocked off balance and kept on going." Bill paused and said, "Now, there's a parallel in life. The devil knocks you down through temptation or hurtful words from someone or your own foolishness or a hundred other things. But it's not enough for him to knock you down, he's got to keep you down. And the way he does that is by working on your guilt."

"'Some Christian you are,' the devil tells you. 'What if the people down at the church could see you now. They'd be ashamed of you.' And he keeps you down. But then, someone comes to you and says," If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9) Get back up and get into the game!' You hear that and believe, you confess it and reaffirm your faith in the Lord Jesus, and you get back into the game."

As long as you are flat of your back, wiped out by your own sin or the cruel words or harsh treatment of another, lying there in your misery and self-reproach, the devil doesn't have to worry about you. You'll do the Lord no good and the enemy no harm. But the moment you start believing the Lord and stand up and re-enter the game, a cheer goes up from the grandstand. (See Hebrews 12:1)  A champion is back and ready for the next play.

I have not always spoken healing words that stand people on their feet. For many years, I took delight in cutting people down to get a laugh. Eric Plumb's cruel teacher had nothing on me. But I was blessed by a few people who refused to let me get by with it. A mother of a teenager called to ask why I had embarrassed her daughter in front of a theater-full of people the night before. I almost had trouble remembering what I had said, it was so thoughtless and meaningless on my part. And I was her pastor! The humiliation of going to her home and humbly apologizing to the teen and her family seared on my soul the cost of idle words that cut and bruise.

Someone needs to hear words of love and affirmation from you today. Don't assume they already know that you love them. Tell them.

When Fred Rogers was a little boy, his parents would take him into the country for brief visits with his Grandfather McFeeley. Sometime during the visit, the wonderful old man would take the child aside and say, "Freddie, never forget that I like you just the way you are. Don't ever change. God made you this way, and you are something special."

Mr. Rogers lived the rest of his life telling children all over the world how special they were. Standing them on their feet.

-Joe McKeever

listen

God will speak to you differently than He will speak to others.  

Just because God spoke to Moses through a burning bush doesn’t mean we should all sit next to a bush waiting for God to speak.  No, God reveals His heart personally to each person.  

We learn His will as we take up residence in His house and seek to listen to him every single day.

Want to know God’s will for your life?  

Then answer the question:  What ignites your heart?  Forgotten orphans?  Untouched nations?  The inner city?  What is the fire that consumes you? Mark it down.  

Jesus comes to set you alight for His Kingdom and he will speak to you. 

God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing. Ephesians 2:10

freedom

"Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die." (Genesis 42:2b)

F. B. Meyer in his book, The Life of Joseph, describes a time in the life of the 12 sons of Jacob in which they were driven from their lives of self-satisfaction to an unlikely place to save their lives. Many years earlier they had thrown their youngest brother into a pit, then sold him into slavery. Thirteen years later he became the second most powerful person in Egypt. Now the world was experiencing a famine, and Joseph controlled all the stored grain of Egypt.

As long as the hills were green and the pastures clothed with flocks, as long as the valleys were covered over with corn and rang with the songs of reapers, Reuben, Simeon, and the rest of them would have been unconcerned and content. But when the mighty famine came, the hearts of these men were opened to conviction. Their carnal security was shattered. They were being prepared for certain spiritual experiences they would never have dreamed. And they were being prepared for the meeting with Joseph. This is how God deals with us; He breaks up our nest, He loosens our roots, He sends a mighty famine that cuts away the whole staff of bread. Then, at such times, weary, worn, and sad, we are prepared to confess our sins and receive the words of Christ when He says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28).

A missionary once said, "There is a place where we will all be obedient." Joseph was a type of Christ in the Old Testament. The famine was an event designed to bring the brothers to repentance and a saving knowledge, physically and spiritually. It created the circumstances that led to freedom for these men, for they had been in bondage to a wicked crime against their brother for many years.

It was the forgiveness from Joseph that led to that freedom.

Is your life passing through a time of famine? Are your supplies limited? Is God leading you into directions that you would not normally seek? Perhaps this is God's hand creating circumstances for His purposes. Now is the time to look attentively as He directs you to unlikely sources.

-os hilman

help

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted. 2 Corinthians 1:4.

The Lord has special grace for the mourner, and its power is to melt hearts, to win souls. His love opens a channel into the wounded and bruised soul, and becomes a healing balsam to those who sorrow. 

Those who have borne the greatest sorrows are frequently the ones who carry the greatest comfort to others, bringing sunshine wherever they go. Such ones have been chastened and sweetened by their afflictions; they did not lose confidence in God when trouble assailed them, but clung closer to His protecting love. Such ones are living proof of the tender care of God, who makes the darkness as well as the light and chastens us for our good. Christ is the light of the world; in Him is no darkness. Precious light! Let us live in that light! Bid adieu to sadness and repining. Rejoice in the Lord always.

It is your privilege to receive grace from Christ that will enable you to comfort others with the same comfort wherewith you yourselves are comforted of God.... Let each try to help the next one. Thus you may have a little heaven here below, and angels of God will work through you to make right impressions.... Seek to help wherever you can. Cultivate the best dispositions that the grace of God may rest richly upon you. 

Young and old may learn to look to God as the One who will heal, as One who sympathizes, who understands their necessities and who will never make a mistake. 

Find time to comfort some other heart, to bless with a kind, cheering word someone who is battling with temptation and maybe with affliction. In thus blessing another with cheering, hopeful words, pointing him to the Burden Bearer, you may unexpectedly find peace, happiness, and consolation yourself. 

A consecrated Christian life is ever shedding light and comfort and peace. It is characterized by purity, tact, simplicity, and usefulness. It is controlled by that unselfish love that sanctifies the influence. It is full of Christ, and leaves a track of light wherever its possessor may go.

-E G White

pattern

Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Isaiah 35:3, 4.

Who will now put on the white robe of Christ's righteousness, which is without spot or wrinkle, so that Satan cannot in derision point to their filthy garments? Keep the soul clean and pure. You have no time to gather up the mistakes of others. Attend to your own mistakes, and make the erring ashamed by your kindly, sympathetic interest in them. A Christian is keenly sensitive to the needs of others, because he realizes that they are Christ's property. He is ever on the watch for opportunities to help them.

Envy, evil surmising, backbiting, and faultfinding—let these not be named amongst Christ's disciples. These things are the cause of the present feebleness of the church. We have a perfect pattern, even the life of Christ. It is to be our eager desire to do as He has done, to live as He lived, that others, seeing our good works, may be led to glorify God. The Lord's blessing will rest upon us as we seek to bless others by doing the work that Christ came to this world to teach us how to do.

God gave His only begotten Son to die for a race of rebels, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Why should we not walk and work in the way that God has marked out? Why should anyone please the enemy by tearing down another's work, using the powers God has given him to kill hope and drive souls into discouragement? In every church there are young men and young women who need the help of a strong, compassionate handclasp; of a loving, Christlike interest that will not let them go. Let there be an end to bickering over little things. Let unkind speeches go as a hateful, unprofitable thing. Cease to speak words that do no good, and come close to those who have erred. Take hold of them, and draw them to Christ. Tell Satan that he cannot have them, for they are the Saviour's property....

"I came not to condemn, but to save," Christ declared. Angels are sent from the heavenly courts, not to destroy, but to watch over and guard imperiled souls, to save the lost, to bring the straying back to the fold. Have you, then, no words from a pitying heart to speak to the lost and straying? Will you let them perish, or will you reach out to them a helping hand? Right around you there are souls that are in danger of perishing. Will you not work for them and pray with them? Will you not draw them to the Saviour with the cords of love? Cease your reproaches, and speak words that will inspire them with faith and courage.

—Manuscript 36, April 13, 1904, "The New Life in Christ."

bread

Many of us have trouble relating to the prayer, “God, give us this day our daily bread.” Because our pantries are so packed and our bellies so full, we seldom ask for food. More likely, we need to ask for self-control and say, “God, help me not to eat so much.”

You won’t find books on surviving starvation, but you will find shelves loaded with books on losing weight. That doesn’t negate the importance of the prayer, however. Just the opposite. We pray only to find our prayer already answered!  At some point it occurs to you that someone is providing for your needs.

You take a giant step in maturity when you agree with King David’s words in 2^nd Chronicles 29:14, “Everything we have has come from You, and we only give You what is Yours already.” Long before you knew you needed someone to provide for your needs, God already had!

answers

Our plans are not always God's plans. He may see that it is best for us and for His cause to refuse our very best intentions, as He did in the case of David. But of one thing we may be assured, He will bless and use in the advancement of His cause those who sincerely devote themselves and all they have to His glory. If He sees it best not to grant their desires He will counterbalance the refusal by giving them tokens of His love and entrusting to them another service.

In His loving care and interest for us, often He who understands us better than we understand ourselves refuses to permit us selfishly to seek the gratification of our own ambition. He does not permit us to pass by the homely but sacred duties that lie next us. Often these duties afford the very training essential to prepare us for a higher work. Often our plans fail that God's plans for us may succeed.

We are never called upon to make a real sacrifice for God. Many things He asks us to yield to Him, but in doing this we are but giving up that which hinders us in the heavenward way. Even when called upon to surrender those things which in themselves are good, we may be sure that God is thus working out for us some higher good.

In the future life the mysteries that here have annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings.

We are to look upon every duty, however humble, as sacred because it is a part of God's service. Our daily prayer should be, "Lord, help me to do my best. Teach me how to do better work. Give me energy and cheerfulness. Help me to bring into my service the loving ministry of the Saviour."

-MH 473

pump

There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time, his throat became very dry.  About that time, he saw a little shack in the distance.  

He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note.  The note read: "Pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it.  If you do this, you will get all the water you need".

Now the man had a choice to make. If he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked, he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work, he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or, he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die.

After thinking about it, the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle.  At first, nothing happened, and he got a little scared.  But, he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out that he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed.

 

Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveler.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “ Please prime the pump, believe me it works”!

We have the same choice to make.  Do we hold on to what we have because we don’t believe there are better things in store for us, and settle for immediate satisfaction? Or do we trust God and give up all that we have to get what God has promised us? I think the choice is obvious. We need to pour in all the water, and trust God with everything. Then, once we have experienced what God has to offer - "the living water", we need to tell other people, “Go ahead prime the pump.  Believe me,  It works!!!"

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will directs your paths."   (Proverbs 3:5-6)

valley

I will not leave you as orphans but will come to you.....    John 14:18

  

Alone in the Valley

Let’s face it.  There are times, when we walk through situations and seasons in our lives, when we are lonely.  We even feel very much alone.  No one is exempt.  It’s  just part of life.

I recall walking through one of these valleys. That 'alone' feeling would quietly creep up and unexpectedly pounce, sometimes seemingly from out of nowhere, sort of like being slammed by a wave.

I would rather be on a mountain top experience; I love those seasons. Yet I’ve learned most of life is lived somewhere in-between.  And I’ve learned it’s all good.  And, it’s all a gift.

All the years my dad lived alone, after mom died, I would often say to him, “I don’t like you being alone on Sundays (or a holiday, or birthday)” and he would always say, “I’m not alone!  Jesus is right here with me.”  He said it so often, that the reality of that finally began to sink in. In every way, Jesus was his companion, there at the house, right there with him.

As I’ve thought about this, the beautiful beloved 23rd Psalm came to mind, where David says,

      Even though I walk through the valley …….You are with me.

We all have been, or will be, in a valley season during our life journeys. It is beautiful beyond belief, and peaceful beyond our finite mind’s comprehension, to know and sense the truth of the words in the Bible, that bring comfort and healing. 

In the valley I may feel lonely, but am I alone? 

Not really;  Jesus is with me. He’s right here with me.

-sally kennedy

.......one............

While two visitors were visiting Annapolis, they noticed several students on their hands and knees assessing the courtyard with pencils and clipboards in hand. "What are they doing?" one of them asked their tour guide.

"Each year," he replied with a grin, "The upperclassmen ask the freshmen how many bricks it took to finish paving this courtyard."

"So what's the answer?" one of the visitors asked the tour guide when they were out of earshot of the freshmen.

The guide replied, "One."

That brings up an interesting theological question. How many sacrifices did it take to finish paying for our sins? The Jews would have needed lots of pencils and clipboards to make the calculation. "Let's see, let's take all
the sin offerings, all the guilt offerings, the bulls, the goats, the lambs, the turtledoves......"

So what's the answer? How many sacrifices did it take to finish paying for our sins? Only one.

"And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered the sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God."
(Heb. 10:11-12).

After thousands and thousands of sacrificial animals had been sacrificed, Jesus Christ gave his own life on the cross. Only then could it be said, "It is finished." (John 19:30).

-allan smith

if..............

If you never felt pain,
Then how would you know that I'm a Healer?

If you never went through difficulty,
How would you know that I'm a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial,
How could you call yourself an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness,
How would you know that I'm a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake,
How would you know that I'm forgiving?

If you never were in trouble,
How would you know that I will come to your rescue?

If you never were broken,
Then how would you know that I can make you whole?

If you never had a problem,
How would you know that I can solve them?

If you never had any suffering,
Then how would you know what I went through?

If you never went through the fire,
Then how would you become pure?

If I gave you all things,
How would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you,
How would you know that I love you?

If you had all power,
Then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect,
Then what would you need Me for?

"And he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will gladly glory in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

....aim

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness." (Matthew 25:21)

Somebody has facetiously said, "Blessed be he who aimeth at nothing for he shall surely hit it!"

On the same theme, Bill Bernbach made the following insightful comment: "If you stand for something, you will always find some people for you and some against you. If you stand for nothing, you will find nobody against you and nobody for you!"

It is true, if we aim for and stand for right, for justice, for integrity, for truth, and are committed to doing the will of God, there will always be opposition. Chances are the more worthy our cause, the greater will be the opposition—and the temptation to discouragement.

However, when we get to the end of life's journey, how rewarding it will be to have the Savior welcome us to Heaven with the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord!"

What Jesus will say to us when we meet him face to face will totally depend on what we are doing and how we are living today. We have that opportunity now. As a favorite one-liner puts it, "It is choice, not chance, that determines our destiny."

"His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithfull over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things; enter into the joy of your Lord." (Matthew 25:21)

-Dick Innes

hills

The census taker knocked on the lady's door. She answered all his questions except one. She refused to tell him her age.

"But everyone tells their age to the census taker," he said.

"Did Miss Maisy Hill, and Miss Daisy Hill tell you their ages?" she asked.

"Certainly," he replied.

"Well, I'm the same age as they are," she snapped.

The census taker simply wrote on the form, "As old as the Hills."

You may have heard that our nation's oldest person, a 113-year-old woman, died recently just weeks before her 114th birthday. The world's oldest person in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group, is a Japanese man, who will turn 116 next week. The oldest person ever on record was a Frenchwoman who was 122 when she died in 1997. All of these could easily be described with the phrase, "As old as the hills."

But they are all babies when compared with Methuselah. You recognize his name. He's known in the Bible for one thing -- being the oldest person mentioned. 969 years old! That's a lot of years. And I think it's sad. Not that he was so old, but because that's what he is known for. He's not known for his great faith, for his moral courage, or for his righteousness. He's known for being old.

In fact, if you do the math, you come up with an interesting fact -- Methuselah died the year it started flooding. Was it just a coincidence, or was Methuselah one of the many who perished in that judgment of God? We don't know.

I just pray that some day I'll be remembered, not for the number of years I lived upon this earth, but for the way that I lived while I was here.

"The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness." (Proverbs 16:31)
-Alan Smith

Ben

When Dr. Ben Carson spoke at February’s National Prayer Breakfast in front of United States President Barack Obama, his critical views on national healthcare legislation and the country’s increasing debt set the media abuzz.

His comments have since led to appearances and features in top news agencies, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and Fox News.
Carson, 61, is no stranger to the spotlight. He first gained international recognition in 1987 for successfully separating cranially conjoined twins. He has served as director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, since he was 33 years old.
A lifelong Seventh-day Adventist, he is a member of the Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Spencerville, Maryland.
Carson is the author of four books. His first, “Gifted Hands,” tells the story of his rise from a single-parent home in the inner city to a renowned medical career. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. portrayed Carson in an HBO movie of the same title. Carson and his wife, Candy, launched the Carson Scholar’s Fund in 1994 to promote reading and scholastic achievement, offering trophies as big as those awarded to high school athletes.
He spoke to ANN briefly by telephone earlier this week, after having completed four surgeries in the morning and waiting for a team to call him to a fifth.
While the Seventh-day Adventist Church doesn’t corporately become involved in politics, ANN interviewed Carson about how he as an Adventist shoulders responsibility of media attention. He also discussed how his views stemming from his faith shape his beliefs about the earth’s origins, as well as his promotion of reading and educational opportunities in underprivileged communities.
The unedited interview in its entirety:
Adventist News Network: Do you feel a special sense of responsibility and stewardship for the attention you get?
Dr. Ben Carson: There’s no question God sets these things up. My whole life I feel has been orchestrated by him. When you’re placed on a platform, you have a definite responsibility to remember who put you there and why.
ANN: How do you handle the spotlight?
Carson: Prayerfully, humbly, recognizing that you always have to make sure you keep yourself in the background. It’s very easy when all the spotlights are on you to think, “Oh, wow, I’m a great person.” You have to make sure to resist the urge to think that, and always remember that whatever you do, God is first.
ANN: What do you want people to understand about the Seventh-day Adventist Church by looking at your life?
Carson: I want them to understand that we’re very reasonable people and kind people, but we do have values and principles that we live by, and those are the things God has set forth in his word.
ANN: Are there ever any times when you feel it’s best to distinguish yourself from the Seventh-day Adventist Church and what it teaches?
Carson: No, I don’t. You know, I’ve seen a lot of articles that say, “Carson is a Seventh-day Adventist, and that means he believes in the six-day creation. Ha ha ha.” You know, I’m proud of the fact that I believe what God has said, and I’ve said many times that I’ll defend it before anyone. If they want to criticize the fact that I believe in a literal, six-day creation, let’s have at it because I will poke all kinds of holes in what they believe. In the end it depends on where you want to place your faith – do you want to place your faith in what God’s word says, or do you want to place your faith in an invention of man. You’re perfectly welcome to choose. I’ve chosen the one I want.
ANN: Are there any other things you think Seventh-day Adventists should speak out on?
Carson: Yeah, I think we should be the people who truly advocate for life. Abortions that are done on-demand are not within the purview of God’s will. We sit around and criticize ancient pagans for sacrificing babies and saying what heathens they were. But are we really any different if we go around killing babies because they’re inconvenient? I feel very strongly that we should be speaking out on those issues and don’t just go along to get along.
ANN: Some have said your message at the prayer breakfast was overly political in a setting that was supposed to focus on God. How do you respond?
Carson: I think a prayer breakfast is an excellent place to talk about the spiritual state of the nation, which unfortunately is critical at this state because people are afraid to talk about what they believe. One of the founding tenants of our nation was freedom of speech. So if you’re not going to be able to talk about that at a prayer breakfast, it’s pretty ironic that we can’t have freedom of speech at a prayer breakfast. And then some people have been critical of the fact that I brought up tithing, the Bible, God – it’s a prayer breakfast. Give me a break.
ANN: With the increased media attention, do you keep Sabbath any differently than you did before?
Carson: Not really. Sabbath is still a precious day for us. We go to church as often as we can. Even if we’re on the road we treat it as a different day than all the others.
ANN: How would you want to change the world?
Carson: Well, there are a number of things. First of all, particularly focusing on our nation, I want us to remember that we are one nation under God. And I want everyone to be able to say it and to say it with pride, not to say it shamefully. I also would like to bring back a real definition of fairness. Fairness means treating everybody the same, not just your special group or those special interest groups who contribute to your well-being.
ANN: Are there any biblical characters that offer you an example or encouragement?
Carson: Joseph, because he had a pretty difficult life. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers, decided to make the best of it and became the head of Potiphar’s household. And then living up to high moral standards caused him to be thrown in jail. He wasn’t resentful about that. He became a model prisoner. He gained position of authority there and started interpreting dreams and became governor of the most powerful nation in the world. That said a lot to me about not griping and complaining about where you are, but using the situation, trusting in God and making the best of it.
ANN: What does retirement look like for you in June?
Carson: It looks very busy. I may have to come back to work to get a break. I’ve got 10 international trips scheduled already and multiple engagements around the country – too numerous to count. Our scholarship fund is in all 50 states and we’re penetrating different counties. We’re putting in our reading rooms all over the country to try to increase the interest in reading, particularly in Title I school districts because the people who founded this nation said it is dependent on a well-educated and informed populace, and without that it cannot survive.
ANN: Anything else as we end?
Carson: We always have to remember that no matter what’s going on, no matter how much of a spotlight we have, that all of that comes from God and everything we do should reflect glory on his name.

...ability

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  (John 10:10b)

I remember picking up a book one day called "Sleeping Through the Revolution" by Dr. Paul Rees . In that book, I came across a quotation from Dr. Stanley Jones's book, "Abundant Living".  
This is how the quote ran : 
"The early Christians did not say in dismay, 'Look what the world has come to', but they said in delight, 'Look what has come to the world!'"

They saw not merely the ruin but the resources for the reconstruction . 
They saw not merely that sin did abound but that grace did much more abound ."   
Dr. Jones added this significant sentence, "The whole secret of abundant living can be summed up in this sentence : 'Not your responsibility but your response to His ability ."' I like that, don't you?

"Not your responsibility but your response to His ability ."
 

.....snares

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.

Satan is rallying his forces to contend with the advancing work. He would bring reproach upon the work of God by setting brother against brother, and bringing in the elements of suspicion and evil surmising. I am bidden to say to our people, "Do not devise evil one against another. Do not cherish unbelief in your hearts. Do not harbor suspicion against your brethren and sisters." This is one of the most successful ways in which Satan works to alienate the hearts of those who should be doing God's service. Spend much time in earnest prayer for your individual selves. Talk and act as if in the presence of God....

Disaffection began in heaven because Satan could not have the place he coveted. Disaffection and distrust had never before entered any heart. When Satan began his evil work, he did not himself see where it would lead. But the thoughts he entertained after a time were expressed in suggestions of evil, and these, diffused among the angels, led to the great rebellion which was the beginning of all the woe and misery that has befallen mankind.

To those who are inclined to suspect others of wrongdoing and to charge their brethren with evil, I would say, "Please read in the book Great Controversy the chapter entitled ‘The Origin of Evil.'" Bring home its truths to your individual hearts. Remember that it was the spirit of envy and evil surmising, cherished in the heart of the rebel angel, that began the evil work that opened the floodgates of woe upon our world.

Satan is working in every church to spoil the flock of God. He seeks to lead brother to think evil of brother, and in this way he causes a great deal of grief and pain. I am instructed to say to every soul who professes to be a follower of Christ, "Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips, that they speak no guile." Through self-exaltation Satan works to ruin the soul, and his working may be seen in every church. My brethren and sisters, keep strict guardianship over your spirit. Guard your words, lest Satan lead you to repeat his own history.

Guard your thoughts. In these closing days of earth's history Satan is working with desperate effort to seduce souls into sin. Keep your tongue as with a bridle. Keep your thoughts upon the Word of the living God. The same spirit that prompted rebellion in heaven is at work in our churches.... We are living in the last days of this earth's history, and Satan is making determined efforts to subvert the mind.—Letter 66, April 10, 1909

.....workshop

I remember knowing kids whose fathers were quite successful.  One was a judge.  The other a prominent physician. I attended church with the son of the mayor.  “My father has an office at the courthouse,” he could claim. Guess what you can claim?  “My Father rules the universe!””

Scripture says, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies announce what his hands have made.”  (Pslam 19:1) Nature is God’s workshop.  The sky is his resume.  

You want to know who God is?  See what he has done. 

You want to know his power?  Take a look at his creation.

How vital that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is in heaven.  

Pray with any lesser conviction and your prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow. 

But spend some time walking in the workshop of the heavens.  

Seeing what God has done—seeing what your  Father has done and watch how your prayers are energized!

-max lucado

used........

There are many reasons why God shouldn't have called you.

But don't worry. You're in good company.

Moses stuttered.

David's armor didn't fit.

John Mark was rejected by Paul.

Timothy had ulcers.

Hosea's wife was a prostitute.

Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.

Jacob was a liar.

David had an affair.

Solomon was too rich.

Abraham was too old.

David was too young.

Peter was afraid of death.

Lazarus was dead.

John was self-righteous.

Naomi was a widow.

Paul was a murderer.

So was Moses.

Jonah ran from God.

Miriam was a gossip.

Gideon and Thomas both doubted.

Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.

Elijah was burned out.

John the Baptist was a loudmouth.

Martha was a worry-wart.

Mary was lazy.

Samson had long hair.

Noah got drunk.

Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?

So did Peter, Paul - well, lots of folks did.

But God doesn't require a job interview. He doesn't hire and fire like most bosses, because He's more our Dad than our Boss. He doesn't look at financial gain or loss. He's not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need. As much as we try, God's gifts are free. We could do wonderful things for wonderful people and still not be...  Wonderful.

Satan says, "You're not worthy."  Jesus says, "So what? I AM."

 

Satan looks back and sees our mistakes. God looks back and sees the cross.

He doesn't calculate what you did in the past. It's not even on the record as long as it is under the Blood. Sure, there are lots of reasons why God shouldn't have called us. 

But if we are in love with Him, if we hunger for Him more than our next breath, He will use us in spite of who we are, where we've been, or what we look like.  

I pray that as Christians, we will step out of our limitations into the limitless nature of who God is. Then our passion for God and our passion to communicate Him will make short work of our limitations.   

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8) 

~ Author Unknown

......print

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."   (Mark 11:22-25)

The Fine Print

There it was, at the very bottom of the document, in noticeably smaller size print. The disclaimer. Have you ever noticed these sections at the end of a contract or agreement?

There’s an old saying, “Read the fine print before signing on the dotted line.” That little part stuck on at the end might sometimes be called ‘the catch’. When things seem too good to be true, they usually are. We ask, “What’s the trick?”  

There is an amazing promise in the bible that might sound too good to be true. About a week before Jesus was killed and came back to life, He was talking with His close friends. He said if you believe, you can have anything you ask for in prayer (Mark 11:24).

Could it be that easy? Practically in the same breath, Jesus continues, essentially saying that we have to forgive anyone we hold a grudge against first. Could even be ourselves.

The fine print of forgiveness. It’s a decision, not a feeling, a key to unlocking and releasing God’s promises. That’s good news.

mirror

     The Browns were shown into the dentist's office, where Mr. Brown made it clear he was in a big hurry.  "No fancy stuff, Doctor," he ordered, "No gas or needles or any of that stuff.  Just pull the tooth and get it over with."

     "I wish more of my patients were as stoic as you," said the dentist admiringly. "Now, which tooth is it?"

     Mr. Brown turned to his wife... "Show him, honey."

     It's easy to be brave when someone else is the one experiencing the pain!  I wonder as I write and speak about facing trials with a positive attitude if I could be so upbeat if I actually suffer the loss of everything I own in a hurricane or tornado.  It's easy to be brave when someone else is experiencing the pain!

     It's also easy to believe that someone else is the only one needing treatment.  "Don't look at me, doctor.  Take care of her!"  As you sat listening to (or delivering) a sermon Sunday, did you find yourself saying, "I sure hope so-and-so is listening, because this is something he really needs to work on!"

      Listen to these words of James:

     "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:23-25)




     James does not say that the word of God is a magnifying glass or a telescope to look at others.  Rather, it is a mirror.  And a mirror is only used to look at yourself.

     I pray that you will take the opportunity today to use the word of God as a mirror, and may your life be changed by it.

Have a great day!
-Alan Smith