....together

Many of the world's greatest dramas are not on a stage or a screen, but they are played out in that quadrennial spectacle we call the Olympics. One year Britain's representative in the 400-meter race, Derek Redmond, went down in the back stretch with a torn right hamstring. As the medical attendants approached, Redmond fought to his feet and set out hopping, desperately trying to finish the race. He knew he wouldn't win, he was just trying to finish.

When he reached the final stretch, a man came out of the stands, pushed past a security guard, and ran to Redmond and hugged him. That man was Jim Redmond, Derek's father, and he said to him, "Son, you don't have to do this." Gritting his teeth and with tears in his eyes, his son said, "Yes, I do."

His father's reply, "Well, then, we're going to finish this together." Derek's head was sometimes buried in his father's shoulder, but they stayed in his lane to the end. When they crossed the finish line, the crowd stood to its feet, cheered, and wept as those two men finished the race.

Moses says to Israel in Deuteronomy 1:29-31 , "Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.'"

Maybe today you are tired, banged up, or stressed out, and like that 400-meter runner in the Olympics, you are staggering right now. You're having a hard time finishing your race. You started well, and you have been running hard, but you're about to go down. Maybe you have been hit by discouragement, illness, family trouble, a lack of support, or a lack of help. Maybe you've run into obstacles or pain and you are hurting, and there is still more of the race ahead of you. God wants to give you the good news that someone has left the stands to help you. He is coming to the track to help you finish the rest of the way.

It's your Heavenly Father.

God left the stands to come to the cross, and there He rescued us from the sin wounds that would have kept us from reaching heaven. He knows we can't make it alone. He is an all-powerful Father who offers to carry us, but we have to let Him. If we are too proud to collapse in His arms and surrender to His control, then our power is limited, and we're not going to make it. If we will totally release control to Him and, in the words of Scripture, humble ourselves, we will have all His power. Even little children know where the power is when they sing, "...they are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me."

Each of us experience days when we just don't have any more to give. Maybe you're there now. It's those moments in the race that can take you deeper into the love and power of Jesus than you have ever been before. Your Father is not a spectator in the stands today. His arm is around you right now, where you are. Listen to His voice saying, "We're going to finish this together!"

-ron hutchraft

cats

 The following article, "Of Cats and People" was written by Michael Newnham.  My comments follow.

Lord, this cat you gave me... she just doesn't listen.

-I told her the rains were coming...she goes out anyway and comes back soaked.

-I told her not to lay in weeds...yet everyday she comes in and
expects me to pull all the stickers out of her fur....from laying in the weeds.

-I told her that as much as it's up to her to be at peace with all
cats...yet she expects me to tend to her wounds from the fights she is always in.

-She embarrasses me in front of the neighbors by instigating
disputes with their cats...she thinks she owns the whole block.

-She is constantly doing what she ought not to do and suffering
the consequences.

-Worse, she seems to blame all her misfortunes on me...at least
she expects me to deal with all the results of her disobedience.

I always do, but she never seems to learn.

-Furthermore, Lord...she has never missed a meal, but when she's
hungry she yowls as if she hasn't had a meal in weeks.

She makes it sound as if I'm a negligent and cruel father.

The truth is that I always feed her and even give her treats.

Just wanted you to know...

-To top it all off, she is often distant and ignores me until she wants
attention or me to provide something.

-This cat makes me feel used.

-Sometimes I wonder if she loves me, or just loves what I can give her.

-It's a pretty one sided relationship.

-Despite all of this, I love the cat and I've chosen to keep her.

-Lord, that makes no sense, but I know you'll understand…

                                                   --Michael Newnham
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     It's a well-written piece to remind us that the things which our cats (or  people around us) do that make us feel unappreciated are the same sorts of things we do to God on a regular basis.  God is so gracious and giving, even when we are unappreciative, but we dare not take his kindness for granted. May we praise our God every morning that we are able to rise from bed!  May we praise our God for every bit of food that we enjoy!  May we praise our God for his continual grace in our lives!

     "To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever." (Psalm 30:12)
-alan smith

is

"I am the Lord.  I change not." Malachi 3:6

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8

God never changes who He is. He is always consistent.   He is not fickle.  He was not a different God in the Old Testament or to your grandparents. He is and always has been the same God.
     He is Holy (He keeps His promises).
     He is Righteous (He always does what’s right).
     He is Good (He loves us and is always working in us and for us)

These things never change!

"God Is Love, God is Light
God is faithful day and night
He is eternal, He never changes
Though the seas rise up to swallow mountain ranges"
-david Edwards

delinquents

Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living.		Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. In this way they won’t be so shocked when the home is broken up later.
When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he’s cute.		Give the child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own.
Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one and then let "him decide for himself".		Satisfy his every craving for food, drink, and comfort. See that his every sensual desire is gratified.
Avoid the use of "wrong". He may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested, that society is against him and he is being persecuted.		Let him read any printed material, and listen to any music he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.
Pick up everything he leaves lying around. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility on others.		When he gets into real trouble, apologize to yourself by saying, "I could never do anything with him."
Take his part against neighbors, teachers, and policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child.		Prepare for a life of grief. You will likely have it.
Taken from a pamphlet entitled Twelve Rules for Raising Delinquent Children distributed by the Houston Police

puzzles

I was given a puzzle a couple of months ago from a friend of mine; it had 1,500 pieces. I haven't put together a puzzle since I was a kid. Isn't it funny how we stop doing certain things when we grow up: puzzles, coloring, playing dolls, hop scotch, hide and go seek. Things that brought us so much joy as a child, we stop doing when we reach a certain age - it's a shame, isn't it?

I must admit, I really enjoyed the puzzle. Although very frustrating at times, it was a challenge. Each time I found a piece that fit, it was extremely rewarding.

Have you ever realized how many similarities there are between puzzles and life? In a puzzle each piece plays such an important part in the big picture. In life, it's people and events who play the important parts. As with pieces in a puzzle, each of us are unique, special in our own way. Although we may appear similar, there are no two alike. Ironically it's our differences that make us fit.

While I was working on this puzzle, there was one piece that I was sure belonged in this particular spot. But it didn't fit. I just kept going back to it and trying to make it fit, forgetting that I tried it already.  I guess I had my mind set on the fact that I felt it belonged there.

I thought about how many times I've done that in my life. Tried to make things happen that just weren't meant to be. I'd try over and over again even to the point of forcing it - but it wasn't meant to be... and nothing I did changed that.

If you do many puzzles, you'll know what it's like to spend so much time looking for one specific piece. I thought I knew what it looked like, it seemed so obvious... but I couldn't find it. I got so wrapped up into finding that one piece that I couldn't see beyond it. I got frustrated and decided to let it go and step away from it for a while. When I came back to it later, I found it immediately. It was right in front of me all along.

Life has been like that for me sometimes. I try so hard to understand why things happen the way they do. I search high and low for the answers and sometimes the answers are right in front of me. It isn't until I stop, take a step back, breathe and let it go - that the answers find me.

As I sat there looking at the pieces in this puzzle, I started thinking about the "pieces" in my life: my family, my friends, events, milestones and celebrations. There's such a mixture of good and bad, joy and tears, happiness and sorrow.

I thought about all those pieces that I didn't feel were important or had purpose. I reflected on all those pieces in my life that caused me to ask why... "Why me, God?"... "Why this?".  I suddenly realized that it was because of those pieces that other pieces were able to fall into place.

Everything in our lives happens for a reason. Each event, whether good or bad, signifies a piece of the puzzle. You take away one piece and it upsets the entire harmony of the finished product. I finally understand that even though some of the pieces in my life aren't pleasant and many of them bring me pain and heartache, without them I couldn't move on. No matter how unimportant I think they are, they bring me one step closer to wholeness.

We can't possibly look at the pieces of our lives right now and understand the important role that each one of them plays; there are too many holes and the picture isn't clear. But I know that when my journey in this life comes to an end, and that final piece is put into place, I'm going to look back and understand. I'll no longer wonder why there was so much pain, or why certain people came and went in my life. And I'll be able to see the complete picture and the beauty that went into each piece that made it whole.

Until then, I will continue to live on in faith--knowing and trusting that all the pieces that I need are there and that it only takes a matter of time before they fall into place. Remembering that there is a big picture, a plan for me, that I'm unable to see right now. Believing that each piece of my life, even the painful ones, have purpose and play an important role. And when I'm weak, I will seek strength through prayer. I do all this in hopes that on that glorious day, when God's masterpiece of me is finally complete, He will then whisper... "Well done".
-amy toohill

other

As a New York skyscraper went up, hundreds paused daily to glance up at it. One day they watched a ponderous metal beam go up to take its place in the steel skeleton. As the girder came near, a workman leaned out from the sixteenth floor to seize it. The spectators gasped as he lost his balance and fell. Desperately, he clutched the girder's end with arms and legs.

The ground crew stopped the hoisting engine, but the man's weight at one end began to tilt the beam to a vertical position, which would eventually cause him to lose his grip and fall to his death.

With swift decision, another worker on the same floor, seeing his friend's predicament, leaped through space and landed on the other end, where his weight leveled the beam. Amid the applause of the crowd, both men were safely lowered to the street.

Every day people around us lose their balance on moral and spiritual questions - they consider having an affair with a co-worker, taking company funds, lying to close a deal, toying with drugs and alcohol.

Wrong decisions will hurt them and their families for years and could cost them their souls in Eternity. They need friends who are interested in helping them keep their balance, by leading exemplary lives, by sacrificial living, by speaking a word for Christ. Here on this earth, no one will applaud, but it will be worth it all when we receive the approval of the Master. (1 Cor 4:5)

Today. someone needs you to be the hands and feet of Jesus!
-w.w. Clay

...go

 My child,

Give up!  Give up those hurts of the past. It's time to move on. Satan loves to have you live in the past because that renders you ineffective to live in the present - in the now.

Tell Me, child.  What is it that has happened to you?  Who hurt you?  What mistakes have you made that you regret?  Did what happen to you change the fact that Jesus loves you, and He died on the cross for you so you could live in heaven with Him for all eternity?

Can anything or anyone ever change that fact? You know that nothing can ever nullify what Jesus did for you on the cross. If that's true, and it is, then nothing else matters, does it?

There is nothing that can happen to you, nothing anyone can do to you that can ever change the fact that My Son, Jesus, loves you and died on the cross for you so you gain heaven for all eternity. No one can ever take that away from you. No One!

Hold on to that thought. Put things in their proper perspective. When you do that, you'll see that being loved unconditionally, attaining salvation and the right to go to heaven is your ultimate goal. Everything else pales in comparison to that.

Even physical death cannot take heaven away from you, for then the real you - your spirit - just changes abodes. Physical death for Christians is moving from living in the temple of the Holy Spirit, your body, to living in heaven.

I know, My child, I know. Your mind is often filled with hurtful things that happen to you. Sometimes you even say to people "You don't know how much it hurt Me when such and such happened."  Well, I ask you again, does what happened to you in the past change the fact that Jesus loves you and died for you, and now you can spend eternity with Him in heaven? I don't have to wait for your answer, because I know immediately your mind said, "No!"

Then, child, nothing else matters! Compared to eternity, all problems are nothing.  Loving Me, being in My family, gaining the right to live in heaven for eternity - that's what's important in life. If you lose that, you've lost it all. Don't hold grudges. forgive! Nothing you can gain on earth can make up for that loss, and nothing can happen to you on earth that can take that away from you - Nothing!

Love,
God-author unknown

insignificant

Have you ever felt you were invisible? Perhaps you have sometimes felt you were so insignificant nobody knew you even existed?

I have a garden shrub like that. It is weak and spindly and it leans on the trees growing around it for support. It weaves its way up through their branches and is so hidden you don't really see it. Its leaves are insignificant and its flowers are just five, simple, white petals forming a miniature saucer.

However, this plant has one attribute that makes it stand out from every other plant in the garden and that is its perfume. It is sweet and heady and you can smell it from the other end of the house and all down through the garden. For a few brief weeks every year, visitors close their eyes, sniff, and ask, "What is that heavenly perfume?"

Invisible and insignificant the shrub may be, but its perfume is its memorial. It reminds me of an uninvited, insignificant woman who broke open a jar of perfume at the feet of Jesus. He said, "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." (Mark 14:9)

Her jar of perfume, like my shrub's perfume, was her memorial. Perhaps you, also, have a hidden memorial jar. Will you break it open at the feet of Jesus?
-elizabeth price

fresh

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10

Showered and pressed, I felt fresh as a crisp spring morning. I arrived at the airport early. With few people in line at that hour, getting through check-in and the scanners was smooth and quick.

I stepped into a newsstand to buy a paperback suspense mystery and a candy bar, then headed down the concourse. Soon the smell of grease was strong, hanging heavy in the stale airport air. Looking around, I spotted a fast-food place preparing to open for the day. The poorly ventilated restaurant was the culprit.

My gate was just across the aisle. As I sat there I could sense that odor permeating my clothes and hair. I had started out clean, but it wasn’t going to last long. I’d need another shower by the time I arrived at the conference hotel.

I thought of how, spiritually, I can be determined, purposed, cleaned up and refreshed, and how it doesn’t last that long. Daily I have to renew my determination, cleansing, etc.

The Bible has great wisdom and wonderful practical advice on this subject. Yes, I want to choose spiritual refreshing, so I’ll stay as fresh as a crisp spring morning, from the inside out.
-sally i. kennedy

HIS

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:36-38
Jesus saw that the people were helpless. . . His heart went out to them. . . and as a result, He took action! Hundreds of thousands of people needed to know the Savior, so He sent His followers to go out to the people and share about the Kingdom of God. Jesus' disciples were "His feet" going out to share the Good News, "His hands" ministering and healing the people, and "His mouth" telling others about Him. They may have been few in number, but they had a radical impact on the world!

Today, we are called to be "Jesus' feet" going out into the world to share the Good News that God loves men, women, and children. . . and He wants to have a relationship with them. We are called to be "Jesus hands" ministering, serving and spiritually healing those who are hurting. And we are called to be "Jesus' mouth", having a ready answer on the tip of our tongue as to why we have hope for the future.

Who around you needs a relationship with God? Are you being God's feet and going to them? Are you being His hands and reaching out, listening, empathizing with them, and developing a relationship? And are you being Jesus' mouth, sharing the most important message of all time. . . that Jesus Christ died to pay the price for the sins of all men and women?

We may be few in number, but we can have a radical impact now and in eternity!-marji "mike" kruger

bees

"the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ is spread through the believer" (2 Cor.2:14)
I looked out the window and noticed a thorny plant in bloom. The flowers look like clover... Round little purple heads on a tall and gangly stalk. The amazing thing, though, is the amount of bees this plant has drawn. About thirty bees are literally swarming around this bush. There is no fragrance to this flower that I can detect, but, there is something most definitely appealing about this perennial to these busy insects!
In the Bible, God talks about fragrance a few times in both the Old and New Testament. In 2 Cor. 2:14 He says, "the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ is spread through the believer". In the next verse, it says that we (Christians) are "the sweet fragrance of Christ to God". (2 Cor. 2:15)
So, therefore, we are the fragrance of Christ, to God, and we spread this fragrance of Christ to others. Just like the bees were drawn to the flowers which emitted no sweet smell to me - likewise, non-believers can be drawn to a Christian - by some undetectable pull.
In the New Testament, the story of a nice aroma is told in the book of John. In this story, Mary took expensive perfume and anointed Jesus’ feet. This wonderful smell permeated the entire house. (John 12:3) Likewise, sometimes our love for Christ is overflowing in such a manner that the fragrance of joy is obvious to others, and draws them near to see what is going on.
In either of these manners, obvious or subtle, Christians must draw the secular population to the saving grace and knowledge of Jesus. This is the fragrance which is pleasing to our God.

-marion smith

gift

John Gilbert was diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy when he was only five years old. Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic, progressive, debilitating disease which robs the patient of life a little bit at a time. The little things we take for granted were slowly robbed from him, and eventually he could not even speak. He died when he was 25.

He once was invited to a National Football League fundraising auction. There was one item which caught his eye, and he dreamed of owning it. It was a basketball signed by all the players of the professional basketball team, the Sacramento Kings. He really wanted that ball! When it came up for bid, his arm went up into the air, almost without thinking about it. His mother grabbed his arm quickly, because she knew they did not have the money to bid on anything.

Compared to other items at the auction, the bidding on the basketball rose to an astounding amount. Finally, one man placed a bid that no one else could possibly match, and the ball was awarded to him.

The man walked to the front, and claimed the basketball. Instead of going back to his seat, however, this man walked across the room and gently placed it into John’s thin, weak hands.  He would never be able to dribble that ball or any other down a basketball court, or shoot it at a basket, but for the rest of his very short life, John Gilbert cherished that ball.

While he was still able, John wrote these words:  “It took me a moment to realize what the man had done. I remember hearing gasps all around the room, then thunderous applause and weeping eyes. To this day I’m amazed!  Have you ever been given a gift that you could have never gotten for yourself?  Has anyone ever sacrificed a huge amount for you without getting anything in return…?” (Adapted from John Ortberg, Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them (Zondervan, 2003), p. 197).

According to the Bible, the grace of God has been offered to everyone without exception. Titus 2:11 reads, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Not everyone will accept it and be saved, though. The salvation is offered, but must be accepted in order for it to take effect. Can you imagine John Gilbert, sitting there with his mother at that auction, wanting so desperately to own that basketball, refusing to take that gift once it was offered to him? Can you imagine him cursing at the man who gave the winning bid, and throwing the ball back at him? No, John Gilbert was offered the gift of that autographed basketball through the grace of someone he didn’t even know, a gift he could never hope to have, a gift he could never repay—and he joyfully, amazingly, unbelievably received it!

"For by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

-rocky henriques

famine

Like most of the Old Testament prophets, Amos was chosen by God to deliver a message of repentance and judgement; "Seek the Lord and live, or He will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire" (Amos 5:6). God was calling His people to return, but they had wandered far from His presence and showed no interest in a life of worship. The economy of their day was thriving and the people had few needs which went unfulfilled; they were content and saw little need for God.

Amos, God sent a strong warning. Although He promises to answer all who respond to His call, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2:32), and He promises to be VERY patient, "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9), God also warns that the opportunity to hear His Word may not always be available.

Amos 8:11-12 says, "'The days are coming,' declares the Sovereign Lord, 'when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.'"

When we hear the Word of God, the door is open and we are in the middle of a God-directed opportunity. At that moment we have the opportunity to respond to the truth and draw closer to our Heavenly Father. But when we reject His Word, we begin to close the door and harden our heart - the opportunity begins to fade.

We have been blessed to live during this time in history. Yes, we face the unrelenting pressures of an over-indulgent, self-consumed society; but we have also been blessed with a wonderful abundance of the Word of God. In most parts of the world we have the freedom to worship with other believers and full access to truth-filled teaching. In fact, God's Word has become so readily available that many of us take it for granted.

In the midst of our overflowing blessings, we are becoming complacent and no longer treasure His precious gift. But what would happen if His Word was taken away? What would the world be like if no one was allowed to speak or hear the Word of God? What if we searched for His Word and it could not be found?

Our Heavenly Father loves us dearly. He "wants ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4); and He wants those who believe to be "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Our Father continues to call us to know Him with a greater and more intimate love. Let's make the most of this awesome opportunity by receiving the Word of God, in all its forms, with a hungry anticipation, and then by obediently responding to His call. Let's shake off ALL forms of complacency and rejoice that we do not yet live during a famine of hearing.-steve troxel

? winning

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."  (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
There is a juvenile correctional facility in Gainesville, Texas, for youthful felony offenders. All states have such facilities and Texas has more than one. Most of us ask ourselves how people so young can get into such serious trouble. The logical next question is this: What can we do to prevent it from happening?

I am not smart enough to figure out a full and definitive answer to so complex a problem. But a recent CBS news story by Steve Hartman may contain an important insight worth considering.

One of the few times the young male offenders at Gainesville get to leave their prison is for a handful of basketball games played against nearby private schools who will permit them on their campuses. The boys earn the right by being on their best behavior. Break a rule and the experience is denied.

Last month, Gainesville was scheduled to play Vanguard College Prep School in Waco. Two Vanguard players — Hudson Bradley and Ben Martinson — talked with their coach and other school officials about an idea they had. How much fun could it be for the Gainesville team to compete without fans to cheer for them? With no cheerleaders? In a gym packed with folks rooting against you?

So they made this proposal: Let's ask some of our own fans to form a cheering section for Gainesville.  Once the idea was approved, it caught on quickly. Some girls formed a cheerleading squad for Gainesville. Other students made signs for Gainesville. Half the gym seating was designated for people who would cheer for Gainesville.

The young prison team had no idea what was going on until they arrived for the game. They were cheered as they came on the court and warmed up. A good defensive play or points scored got screaming fans on their feet — screaming for the Gainesville kids, not at them. It only picked up momentum as the game continued, until every person in the gymnasium was cheering for Gainesville.

"I mean every time they scored, the gym was just lit up with cheering and clapping. And everyone was on their feet," said Hudson Bradley. "I think in a way this is kind of how sports should be. It just kind of showed me the real impact that encouragement and support for anybody can make."

He dared to speculate that we all need people to believe in us. We all need for somebody who knows our history, our mistakes, and our failures to still care about us. To love us anyway.

"When I'm an old man," said one player on the Gainesville team, "I'll still be thinking about this." Maybe that's the insight from the story. Doesn't everybody need a cheerleader? A mentor? Somebody who won't quit on him?

By the way, wondering who won?

Everybody who was there that day!
-rubel shelly

hammer

There was a blacksmith who gave his heart to God. Though conscientious in his living, still he was not prospering materially. In fact, it seems that from the time of his conversion, more trouble, affliction and loss were sustained than ever before. Everything seemed to be going wrong.
One day, a friend who was not a Christian stopped at the blacksmith's shop to talk to him. Sympathizing with him in some of his trials, the friend said. "It seems strange to me that so much affliction should come to you just at the time when you have become an earnest Christian. Of course, I don't want to weaken your faith in God or anything like that. But here you are, with God's help and guidance, and yet things seem to be getting steadily worse. I can't help wondering why it is."
The blacksmith did not answer immediately, but finally, he said, "You see here the raw iron which I have to make into horse's shoes. You know what I do with it? I take a piece and heat it in the fire until it is red, almost white with the heat. Then I hammer it unmercifully, to shape it as I know it should be shaped. Then I plunge it into a pail of cold water to temper it. Then I heat it again and hammer it some more. And this I do until it is finished."
"But sometimes I find a piece of iron that won't stand up under this treatment. The heat and the hammering and the cold water are too much for it. I don't know why it fails in the process, but I know it will never make a good horse's shoe." He pointed to a heap of scrap iron that was near the door of his shop. "When I get a piece that cannot take the shape and temper, I throw it out on the scrap heap. It will never be good for anything."
He went on, "I know that God has been holding me in the fires of affliction and I have felt His hammer upon me. But I don't mind, if only He can bring me to what I should be. And so, in all these hard things my prayer is simply this: Try me in any way you wish, Lord, only don't throw me on the scrap heap."
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)-lynell waterman 

? number

There is an old story of a census taker who was making his rounds in the lower East side of New York, who interviewed an Irish woman bending over her washtub. "Lady, I am taking the census.  What's your name?  How many children do you have?"

She replied, "Well, let me see.  My name is Mary.  And then there's Marcia, and Duggie, and Amy, and Patrick, and..."

     "Never mind the names," he broke in, "just give me the numbers."

She straightened up, hands on hips, and with a twinkle in her eye, said, "I'll have ye know, sir, we ain't got into numberin' them yet.  We ain't run out of names!"

In a world filled with so many people, we sometimes feel insignificant.  Nobody wants to know our name -- they just need our Social Security number, or identification number.  It can be an impersonal world that leaves us feeling very lonely, even when we are surrounded by a large crowd of people.

But in the eyes of God, we are viewed personally.  God knows each of us by name.  We matter to Him.

God said to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)

Take comfort in knowing you're not just a number to God; you're one of His precious children!
 -alan smith

? secret

I heard recently about a "big city" boy who was preaching in a small country town. He wanted to learn everything "country" so that I could fit in. As he was searching for Widow Jones' farm, he got lost on the back roads.  He saw a farmer walking into his barn so he stopped for directions.

The farmer was just beginning to milk his cow but took time out to tell the preacher how to get to the Jones' farm. "By the way,” the preacher asked, "Do you know what time it is?"  The farmer leaned in to the udder of the cow and said, "12:30."

The preacher started to leave but he just HAD to know. He told the farmer, "Hey, I've just moved from the city and I really want to know the ways of the country. How could you tell what time it was?"

"Sit right here on this stool, son."  The preacher did.

"Now, grab hold of that udder."  He did.

"Now lean into the cow and lift up on the udder."  The preacher did.

"Lean over and look right over there on that wall. See, that's a clock. When the little hand is on the 12..."

Sometimes it appears that other Christians have a special "secret" to be able to do what they do or to know what they know.  But the truth is, there's no secret.  The story is told about someone coming to Gus Nichols, a great preacher, and saying, "Brother Nichols, I'd give my life to know the Bible as well as you do."  It is reported that Nichols' reply was, "That's exactly what it took."

There's no secret to knowing the Bible -- just a determination to spend time studying the Word of God.  There's no secret to always having time to devote to the Lord's work -- you just have to make the time.  There's no secret to developing spiritual maturity -- it's a lifetime commitment to growing up in Christ.

There's no secret:  "Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)-alan smith

unawares

 ...they were unaware of it. - Luke 2:43

  Mary and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. Jesus was 12 years old. They were evidently very distracted by the excitement and business of the Feast. In fact, Mary and Joseph began their return trip to Nazareth only to realize well into the trip that Jesus was not with them. It would be three days before they would be reunited with their 12-year-old son. It caused quite a scare in Mary and Joseph, and they reprimanded Jesus for "wandering" off.

  As a parent, I find this story truly amazing. How can parents of the Son of God not know their son is not in their presence? Yet this story illustrates how each of us can become so busy that we continue to operate not realizing that Jesus is no longer with us. Obviously, there was very little fellowship taking place between Jesus and His parents during the trip.

  Are you experiencing daily, even moment-by-moment, fellowship with Jesus? If not, you will wake up one day and realize Jesus is not with you in your endeavors. It may, like Mary and Joseph, create a certain fear in you that you may have lost a very important relationship. Doing business without    Jesus' presence leaves us powerless and prone to live in fear. Jesus said He would never leave or forsake His children. However, we can walk away from His fellowship by refusing to be with Him. Do not let this happen to you.

 

He longs to have daily fellowship with you because He loves you.
-os hilman

? well

"A certain man was there who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, 'Do you want to be made whole?" (John 5:5-6)
You may have heard the old story (a fable to be sure) about the father who knocks on his son's door. "James" he says, "wake up!" James answers, "I don't want to get up, Papa."

The father shouts, "Get up. You have to go to school." James says, "I don't want to go to school." "Why not?" asks the father. "Three reasons," says James. "First, because it's so dull; second, the kids tease me; and third, I hate school." And the father replies, "Well, I am going to give you three reasons why you must go to school. First, because it is your duty; second, because you are forty-five years old, and third, because you are the headmaster.

When I ask people in seminars how many believe that God has a purpose for their life, most will raise their hand. But when I ask how many know what it is, only a few have any idea what it might be, and even fewer have clearly defined it. Most say they want to know what it is but don't diligently seek God to discover what it is.

Many people say they want to overcome their problems too, but are not prepared to do their part to make it happen. Even the best psychologists will tell you that "people don't really want to be cured. What they want is relief; a cure is too painful." One surgeon said that many patients who come to him with a problem would rather that he operate on their body than they operate on their lifestyle, and that only about 25 percent of his patients accept responsibility for their wellness.

Jesus didn't say, "Do you wish to be made well, but rather, do you want to be made well?" To be made well needs to be more than a wish. It needs to be a true desire, with determination and commitment to do what one has to do to get well.
 "Dear Jesus, please give me the ‘want’ to get well in every area of my life, and reveal to me any areas of resistance so I can deal with these issues, and accept full responsibility for my wellness. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)
-dick innes

? bank

I don't want to admit how debit-card-dependent I am. It's getting embarrassing. One day this week I couldn't find my card. I looked everywhere. Even by the next morning there was still no trace of the card. I searched high and low, near and far- even under the sofa cushions. I found 37 cents, three marbles, a T-shirt (how had we ignored that lump?), seven M & M's, a screwdriver, my favorite sunglasses, and the TV remote (hey, we'd been looking for that thing)- but no card.

I checked our bank account online to make sure no one had used the rogue card.  Nope, no extra charges (although how in the world could all those charges be mine?). Still, I was just this side of panic.

Why is it that I wait until panic starts to set in before I remember where I really need to turn? Finally I thought,"I'll have my quiet time with the Lord and then I can resume the hunt with more peace, less panic." I opened my Bible and guess what fell out; my card! I had absentmindedly stuck it between the pages the morning prior to mark a passage.

What a lesson my Father taught me about where I should run first. I found such treasure in His Word that morning and, believe it or not, the real treasure was not even card-related. Psalm 119:14-16 says it best: "I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word."  Ah, it's great to be rich!
 "Lord Jesus Christ, let your Holy Spirit fill me and transform my heart and mind that I may choose life - abundant life in you and with you. And give me the courage and strength to always discern good from evil and to reject everything that is false and contrary to your holy will."
-rhonda rhea

judas

 "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God" (Ps. 55:12-14).

Betrayal is one of the most difficult tests that we will ever face because it involves being wounded by someone we trust. It's hard not to become bitter when a friend or family member wounds us. It takes a lot of Christ-like grace to forgive a traitor.

You have probably faced the Judas Test yourself. Every day you and I work in a marketplace that is rife with betrayal, deception, duplicity, and treachery. Perhaps you have been betrayed by your boss or a coworker. Or perhaps somebody betrayed a confidence or stabbed you in the back. It may have even been someone you've gone to church with or prayed with - someone you trusted as a brother in Christ.

The Judas kiss stings worse than a slap across the face. Almost every leader I know has experienced that sting at one time or another. Yet God is watching to see how we respond to the Judas Test. If we pass the test, He can then take us to the next level, the next test. If we fail, we'll probably have to repeat the test until we learn to forgive.

The Judas Test is God's graduate level course in faith, designed to reveal the truth about ourselves: Are we willing to trust Him enough to forgive the Judases in our lives? The book of Hebrews warns, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (Heb 12:15). When we refuse to forgive, we risk infecting others with a "bitter root" of resentment.

-os hilman

precious

Two young ladies arrived at church wearing clothes that were quite revealing their body parts.

 

Here is what the pastor told them:

He took a good look at them and made them sit.
Then he said something that, they might never forget in their life.

He looked at them straight in the eyes and said, "ladies, everything that God made valuable in this
world is well covered and hardly to see, find or  get.
1. Where do you find diamonds?
              Deep down in the ground, covered and  protected.
2. Where do you find pearls?
              Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell.
3. Where do you find gold?
              Way down in the mine, covered over with layers of rock and to get them, you have to  work hard & dig deep down to get them.

 

He looked at them with serious eyes and said,
"Your body is sacred & unique"
You are far more precious than gold, diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."

So he added that, if you keep your treasured mineral just like gold, diamond & pearls, deeply covered up, a reputable mining organization with the requisite machinery will fly down and conduct years of extensive exploration.
                 First, they will contact your government(family),
                 Second, sign professional contracts(wedding)

                 Third, mine you professionally( legal marriage).

But if you leave your precious minerals uncovered on the surface of the earth, you always attract a lot of illegal miners to come and mine you illegally.
Everybody will just pick up their crude instruments and think they can dig you. Keep your bodies deeply covered so that it invite professional miners to chase you.

 Let us all encourage our daughters to dress well & refrain from sexual immorality....

-author unkown

 

 

foolishness

 Mensa is an organization whose members have an IQ of 140 or higher. A few years ago, there was a Mensa convention in San Francisco, and several members lunched at a local cafe. While dining, they discovered that their saltshaker contained pepper and their peppershaker was full of salt. How could they swap the contents of the bottles without spilling, and using only the implements at hand? Clearly this was a job for Mensa!  The group debated and presented ideas, and finally came up with a brilliant solution involving a napkin, a straw, and an empty saucer. They called the waitress over to dazzle her with their solution.

     "Ma'am," they said, "we couldn't help but notice that the peppershaker contains salt and the saltshaker...."

     "Oh," the waitress interrupted. "Sorry about that." She unscrewed the caps of both bottles and switched them.

We live in a world, like the Greek culture of the first century, that prides itself on being "wise."  We have achieved so much in the area of technology.  We've set up a space station that orbits the earth.  We've visited the moon.  We've taken close-up pictures of Mars.  We feel confident that we are able to figure out the answer to almost every problem that is presented to us, if we work on it long enough.

And yet, like the Greek culture of the first century, our own culture -- which takes such pride in its own wisdom -- seems unable to understand that which is truly wise.  Solving the great problem of mankind doesn't involve eliminating poverty, preventing global warning, or even making world peace possible.  No, those who are "wise" in this world seem blind to what the world's biggest problem is -- our separation from God.  And those with less earthly wisdom are often more open to God's solution to that problem, which is centered in the cross of Jesus Christ.  Paul put it this way:

''For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'  Where is the wise man?  Where is the scholar?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (I Corinthians 1:18-25, NIV)

 The "foolishness" of God truly is wiser than man's wisdom!  Be reminded of that the next time you see salt and pepper shakers.
 -alan smith

? discouraged

Imagine that I dump 10,000 plastic eggs in your back yard. I assure you that inside one of those hollow eggs is a check for $1 Million dollars with your name on it. Would you get discouraged if you opened the first 100 eggs without finding the check? How about the first 1000 eggs? Of course not!  You'd just keep opening those eggs, just waiting for the moment when you'd find the check.

Paul knew the meaning of the word "suffering." He had been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, starved, and rejected. And yet Paul said that his sufferings were nothing compared to the glory that would come. In other words, Paul had opened a lot of empty eggs, but he never gave up or got discouraged. He believed that something great was in his future - God's glory revealed in him.

Perhaps it feels to you as if your life has been nothing but empty eggs. You've already opened 99000 of them and you're not sure you've got the will to go on. Let me encourage you today. Don't give up. I don't want to trivialize the challenges you are facing, but I do want to help you put them into perspective. They are only temporary, and God has something much greater in store for you. Compared to the glory that will be revealed in us one day, our suffering doesn't merit discouragement.

Hang on.

Don't give up.

Keep going.

One day God will replace your discouragement with incomparable glory!

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)

! wait

“Those who wait upon the Lord, will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like the eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”   Isaiah 40:31

“...for twelve years she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.”  Mark 5:25

"While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said, ‘Why bother the teacher any more?’" Mark 5:35

Parents waiting for children out past curfew know it.
Couples having trouble conceiving a child know it.
A family separated by overseas military service knows it.
A person needing an organ transplant knows it.
A candidate for law or medical school knows it.
A pregnant mom 10 days past due knows it.
A person struggling to be hired for a job knows it.
In fact, at one time or another, most of us come to know this brooding beast. It's the long wait -- that drawn-out time of fretful anticipation and extended longing.

"Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength..."

Often, this is easier said than done. Before we get to "mount up on wings like eagles," we often have to obediently grind away through the brutal passage of agonizing time. Before we can "run and not grow weary," we have to trudge on as anticipation dims and hope's flickering flame fights against the winds of despair. Many times, we just have to keep walking and trust that some hidden grace will help us "not faint."

That's what makes this story of Jairus' daughter so compelling to me. Like you, I don't like to wait. In my mind, if there is any privilege for those with power and position, one should not have to wait! "They" surely don't have to wait like I do. "They" get to move to the head of line. "They" get to throw around their weight and get what they want when they want it.

In this case, however, "they" (or more accurately, "he") didn't. (see Mark 5:21-43)  Instead, Jairus' humbling approach to Jesus, an approach that could cost him everything in sacred society, was interrupted by a desperate woman who had faced "the long wait" herself as she had hopelessly gone to every healer available to her, and no doubt prayed incessantly for her own cure.  This woman, who could not go into the synagogue because of her uncleanness, derailed the hope parade of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue.

I find two things amazing about both of them. First, neither complains about his or her wait. Not the woman, who has spent her fortune on false medical hopes, nor Jairus, who has spent his respect capital to associate himself with a suspicious teacher. Both wait for their Lord to act.

Impatiently waiting? Probably! But, they waited and received their grace. Second, they both received the personal attention of the Lord -- the man of power who could expect that attention and the woman on the fringes who, in her day, could not expect it.

Jesus refused to let the woman have an anonymous miracle!

He personally and specifically blessed her. Jairus' daughter would not be healed for the crowd, but only in the closed intimacy of Jesus' chosen few and Jairus' family. Both waited faithfully. Both received the personal attention of the Master! Each received his or her heart's greatest desire.

This is not a story about long ago and far away. It is a reminder that Jesus is there for those who wait. It is a renewal of the ancient hope that God will act for those who don't give up during the long wait. You see, the issue isn't the wait. Instead, it is all about refusing to give up hope when the journey seems so long (12 years for the woman) and the problems so insurmountable (a dead 12-year old daughter for Jairus).

Maybe you face the long wait right now. Maybe your heartbreak or shame or disappointment or loss seems insurmountable. If so, I want to encourage you to come back to this story of the powerless woman and the powerful man and remember the place their broken hearts met, the place their broken dreams were mended, and the place their long wait ended. Know that place is really a person, and his name is Jesus.
-phil ware

? yourself

 Joe and Sam were talking one day.  Joe said, "My wife asked me to buy organic vegetables from the market garden."

  "So were you able to find some?" asked Sam.

 "Well when I got to the market, I said to the gardener, 'These vegetables are for my wife. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?'  The gardener said, 'No, you'll have to do that yourself.' "


There are some things in life that you have to do for yourself!  Your parents can't do them for you, nor can your spouse or your best friend. Only you.

 Whenever people try to point out the "contradictions" in the Bible, they will frequently point to Galatians 6.  They say, "Paul contradicted himself within just a few short sentences."  He said in verse 2, "Bear one another's burdens" and then shortly after that, in verse 5, he said, "For each one shall bear his own load."

 "There, that proves that the Bible is contradictory!"  Nonsense!  With just a small amount of thought, you realize that while there are many areas where we need to help carry the load of our brothers and sisters in Christ (being there in times of sickness or sadness, for example), there are other areas where we cannot do that.

 We can help carry the burden of difficulties this life has to offer, but we cannot carry the burden of responsibilities we each have.  In regard to salvation, for example, I can't be saved for you.  I can teach you, I can encourage you, but I can't do anything to save you.  That's a load that you must bear.

 In like manner, I can't fulfill your responsibility to live morally, to visit those in need, or to give as you ought.  In areas of responsibility, you must carry your own load and I must carry mine.

"But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  For each one shall bear his own load." (Gal. 6:4-5)

 As the gardener put it so well, "You'll have to do that yourself!"
-alan smith

? son

 There is a story that comes out of the Bedouin culture. "Bedouin" is the Aramaic name for "desert dwellers." These people live much as the characters of the Old Testament did. During a heated argument, according to this story, a young Bedouin struck and killed a friend of his. Knowing the ancient, inflexible customs of his people, the young man fled, running across the desert under the cover of darkness, seeking safety.

He went to the black tent of the tribal chief in order to seek his protection. The old chief took the young Arab in. The chief assured him that he would be safe until the matter could be settled legally.

The next day, the young man's pursuers arrived, demanding the murderer be turned over to them. They would see that justice would prevail in their own way. "But I have given my word," protested the chief.

"But you don't know whom he killed!" they countered.

"I have given my word," the chief repeated.

"He killed your son!" one of them blurted out. The chief was deeply and visibly shaken with his news. He stood speechless with his head bowed for a long time. The accused and the accusers as well as curious onlookers waited breathlessly. What would happen to the young man? Finally the old man raised his head. "Then he shall become my son," he informed them, "and everything I have will one day be his."

The young man certainly didn't deserve such generosity. And that, of course, is the point. Love in its purest form is beyond comprehension. No one can merit it. It is freely given. It is agape, the love of God. Look to the cross. At the cross we encounter love in its purest form.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)-king duncan

? next

When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," he inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah." (1 Samuel 23:1-2)

The Philistines were great adversaries of the Israelites; David was a mighty warrior and with God's help had been successful in defeating the Philistines on many occasions. He had confidence in his calling as a warrior, in his abilities as a warrior, and in God to help him in battle. Yet, when once again the Philistines were causing trouble, David did not rely on his directions or past success. One more time, he sought God's face. He did not assume to know what God wanted him to do. He asked.

How often do you ask God what to do?   Do you assume to know what He wants based on past experience and make the decision yourself?  Are you quick to rush into action and then later ask God to join you? 

Try asking God first and see how much easier things get. After all, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev. 22:13). Don't you think He has a better idea of what's next?-sheree motola

......answer

"Prayer is the answer to every problem in life.

So often we do not pray in certain situations,

because from our stand-point, the outlook is hopeless,

but nothing is impossible with God.

Nothing is so entangled that it can not be remedied.

No human relation is too strained for God to bring about

reconciliation and understanding.

No habit is so deep rooted that it can not be overcome.

No one is so weak that he can not be strong.

No one is so ill that he can not be healed.

No Mind is so dull that it can not be made brilliant.

Whatever we need or desire, if we trust God

He will supply it.

If anything is causing worry and anxiety,

let's stop rehearsing the difficulty and trust God

for healing, love and power
-"EGW Review and Herald OCT 7, 1865.

desert

   "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Ps. 63:1).

  The desert holds a special place in God's Word. The Scriptures portray the desert as a place of inspiration and exaltation - a place where people met God in a powerful new way. King David wrote the 63rd Psalm while in exile in the Desert of Judah. He was hiding from his son Absalom, who wanted to replace him as king of Israel.

  For Joseph, a deep pit in the desert was the first stop on a 13-year journey through desolation and despair. That 13-year desert experience served to break Joseph's self-will and self-confidence. It taught him that he could not control anything and that he needed to rely on God to manage the events in his life. Joseph's desert trial prepared him by scorching the youthful pride and arrogance out of his young life so that when he was 30 years old he could rule Egypt at Pharaoh's side in a spirit of humility and servant-hood.

  Before becoming king of Israel, David was a shepherd. Part of his training for leadership involved hand-to-claw combat with the beasts of the wilderness, including the lion and the bear. Elijah learned the principles of spiritual leadership while in the wilderness of Gilead. And Jesus was tempted and
  tested for 40 days in the desert before He began to preach.

  Perhaps God has given you a dream, but now it seems that your dream has withered and died under the scorching desert sun. It seems that God has gone away and is not listening to your prayers. But I want you to know that that your dream still lives. God is with you, even if you can't see Him, hear Him or sense His presence. He is preparing you in the desert.

-os hillman