get......

A man asked his wife, "What would you most like for your birthday?"

She said, "I'd love to be ten again."

On the morning of her birthday, he got her up bright and early and off they went to a theme park.   He put her on every ride in the park -- the Death Slide, The Screaming Loop, the Wall of Fear.  Everything there was, she rode.  She staggered out of the theme park five hours later, her head reeling and her stomach upside down.

Into McDonald's they went, where she was given a Double Big Mac with extra fries and a strawberry shake.  Then off to a theater to see Star Wars -- more burgers, popcorn, cola and sweets.   At last she staggered home with her husband and collapsed into bed.

Her husband leaned over and asked, "Well, dear, what was it like being ten again?"

One eye opened and she groaned, "Actually, I meant dress size."

That story reminds me of what happened to James and John.  They came to Jesus with a request.  Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mark 10:36).

"They said to Him, 'Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.'" (Mark 10:37)

Jesus told them they really didn't know what they were asking for.  He asked them, "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" (Mark 10:38)

Their response?  "Of course!"  However, what they had in mind (prestige, power and glory) wasn't the same thing Jesus had in mind (persecution, suffering and servanthood).  Jesus gave them exactly what they asked for, but it wasn't at all what they were hoping for when they made the request!

So often, the same thing happens in my life.  God has a way of answering my requests, my prayers, in ways I never even dreamed of -- not always in a pleasant way, not always in a way I would have chosen, but always in a way that He sees best.

-alan smith

...weaver

A missionary was traveling in the Far East when he came across a booth in a market place. It was a tapestry makers booth. As he walked by he saw a strange sight. A man was standing in the booth shouting at his loom on the other side of the booth. As he shouted threads appeared in the tapestry almost by magic. The missionary asked his guide for an explanation. 

"The man you see," said the guide, "Is a master weaver. He is speaking to his apprentice behind the loom telling him what color thread to use and where to put it. Only the weaver knows the entire design, so it is vital that the apprentice do exactly as the master commands." 

"Does the apprentice ever make a mistake?" asked the missionary. 

"Of course. But the weaver is a very kind man in this case and he will rarely have the boy take out the thread. Instead, being a great artist, he simply works the mistake into the design." 

How much that is like God. We cannot see the pattern of the tapestry God is weaving. We are on the other side of the loom looking at knotted threads placed seemingly without purpose. Occasionally we can catch a glimpse of the design, but then as soon as we think we have it pegged the master calls for a thread which changes every thing. So, we have to trust the master weaver that he knows what he is doing. 

And like the apprentice, we, too make our mistakes. We put in a red thread instead of a violet one. We knot it in the wrong place or place it crookedly. And God in his mercy doesn't upbraid us but takes our own mistakes and make them part of the design. 

-author unknown

abundant

If you stay connected to Him, if you draw spiritual nourishment from Him, if  you allow the power that flows through Him to flow through you, nothing will hold you back from reaching the most abundant life possible.

"...I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly"  (John 10:10b)
-bruce wilkinson

will

Are you burdened?  Is someone close to you struggling?  Are you hurting - financially, emotionally, in your marriage, in your relationships, with your family, with your job, etc.  Whatever you're facing today, remember......

The will of God will never take you, 
Where the grace of God cannot keep you, 
Where the arms of God cannot support you, 
Where the riches of God cannot supply you, 
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you, 
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you, 
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you, 
Where the army of God cannot protect you, 
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you, 
Where the love of God cannot enfold you, 
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you, 
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears, 
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you, 
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears, 
Where the Word of God cannot feed you, 
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you, 
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

"Everything happens for a purpose. We may not see the wisdom of it all now but trust and believe in the Lord that everything is for the best."

The way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful about everything.
-author unknown

hopes

"Lord, you know the "hopes of the helpless".  Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them." (Psalm 10:17NLT)

"The hopes of the helpless."  Interesting translation don't you think?  What are the hopes of the helpless?  Help. Escape. Relief. Freedom. Deliverance. Strength. Energy. Light. Refreshment. Revival. Renewal. Dreams. "Immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine."

"The hopes of the helpless."  Would those descriptive words apply to you?  Weak. Weary. Worn-down. Restless. Barely holding on.  Holding on to hope even though there are times you wonder why?  Hoping that something totally beyond your power and beyond your comprehension will happen.  Hope that something will bring about a change.  Hope that something will happen that you have never even dreamed of...  something "out of the blue."

A hope of the helpless might involve the doctor coming into your hospital room with a puzzled look on his face saying, "The tumor is gone. We can't explain it, but it's gone."

A hope of the helpless might be waking up in the middle of the night concerned about your husband but not sure there is anything you can do to encourage him or lift his spirits.

A hope of the helpless might take the shape of accidently bumping into the professor of the class you're struggling in and having her say, "I think you can do this. Just don't give up."

A hope of the helpless might come from meeting a new family after they visited your church and hearing them say, "We loved it! We want to be involved."

The hopes of the helpless may come in all shapes and sizes that surfaces at the least expected time. The hopes of the helpless may come at a time when you feel totally drained. The hopes of the helpless may come may come at a time when you wonder if there is any reason to hang on to your hope.

According to David there are at least three reasons for the helpless to have hope.

First, the Lord knows the hopes of the helpless. 
The Lord knows what you are going through. He knows the pain you are feeling. He knows that the pain has been with you for longer than you can remember. He knows that you have exhausted yourself trying to fix things, restore things, and rebuild things. He knows you feel helpless.

Second, the Lord hears the cries of the helpless.  
He hears your heart. He hears the words that you cannot speak. He hears voice inside you crying out for help. He hears the cries for an end to the suffering.

Third, the Lord comforts the helpless.  
Not only does He know the hopes of the helpless and hear their cries, but He also comforts them. There may be no human way to describe this comfort from the Lord, but when you experience it, you will know it. You will have no doubt about the One who providing the comfort. It will be clear that your hopes known and your cries are being heard.

He knows.
     He hears.
          He comforts.
There is hope for the helpless!
-tom navell

search.....

The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child whispering, "Hello?"

 

Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a youngster, the boss asked, "Is your Daddy home?" "Yes", whispered the small voice.

 

"May I talk with him?", the man asked. To the surprise of the boss, the small voice whispered, "No."

 

Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?" "Yes", came the answer. "May I talk with her?" Again the small voice whispered, "No."

 

Knowing that it was not likely that a young child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the person who should be there watching over the child.  "Is there anyone there besides you?", the boss asked the child. "Yes", whispered the child, "A policeman."

 

Wondering what an officer would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, "May I speak with the policeman?" "No, he's busy", whispered the child. "Busy doing what?", asked the boss. "Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the fireman", came the whispered answer.

 

Growing concerned and even worried as he heard a loud noise through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?"

 

"A hello-copper", answered the whispering voice. "What is going on there?", asked the boss, now alarmed.

 

In an awed voice the child answered, "The search team just landed the hello-copper!"   Alarmed, concerned and more than just a little frustrated the boss asked, "Why are they there?"

 

Still whispering, the young voice replied along with a muffled giggle, "They're looking for me!"

 

It reminds me of how we act toward God at times. When we have done something that we know is wrong, we sometimes, like Adam and Eve in the garden, try to hide from God. Not physically, of course. But we try to distance ourselves from God by neglecting worship with God's people, Bible study, prayer. We try to avoid God, hoping He won't notice.

 

But like the little boy in the story, we know that God is searching for us, doing everything in His power to bring us back. And even at times when I've done something I'm ashamed of, I appreciate that so much.

 

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?....Or what woman, having ten coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?" (Luke 15:4,8)

 

Is Somebody looking for you today?

-alan smith

....let...

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delights in his way.  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with his hand." (Psalm 37:23-24)

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

As a child, I would try and cut the grass with my Dad. The lawnmower was wayyyyy too big for me, but I was only trying to help my dad out. One day he decided he was going to take a break.

But I didn’t feel like taking a break. So, when he went in the house, I began to cut the grass myself. Of course, it didn’t work out too well because the mower was too big for me and my Dad really didn’t need my help. I simply needed to learn how to let Dad do what he knew how to do.

There are times in our lives in which it seems like God has gone in the House and has forgotten about our situation. When we see that He is not moving, we decide to take matters into our own hands, only to end up messing things up. We have to learn to allow our Father to do our Father knows how to do, when He wants to do it, and how he wants to do it.

As tempting as it gets, we cannot give in to the self-induced temptation to help God out, because the situations we face are wayyyyy too big for us to handle. Therefore, it’s time to put down the mental calculators, put away our clocks, put away our solutions, put our ideas aside, step away, and simply “let God be God.”

-timothy jackson,jr

.....next.....

You may have seen this bit of humor making it's way around the Internet:

In my next life, I want to be a bear...

If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that, too.

If you're a bear, you birth your children while you're sleeping (who are the size of walnuts) and wake to partially grown, cute cuddly cubs. I could deal with that in a big way.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.  I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yup...gonna be a bear!

I admit it sounds tempting -- especially the part about being able to eat and sleep (and growl!).  But for those of us who are Christians, here's something even BETTER than lies ahead.   What could possibly be better than that?

How about a life where there's no more pain and no more heartache?  A family reunion where you're surrounded by people who all have a heart for God.   A place where you don't have to live in fear and suspicion.  A place where all your needs are met.  An eternity in the arms of your heavenly Father.

"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.'  Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." (Rev. 21:3-5a)

I don't know about you, but in my next life, I don't want to be a bear......I want to be with God!

-alan smith

ground

I was driving to work and listening to a Christian radio station when the song "I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever" came on. I have no idea what came over me. As soon as this praise song began, I felt tears running down my face. There I was, almost at work, and I could hardly see to drive because of a song. 

What was going on? I sat in my car after I arrived at work, trying to figure it out.

Then it struck me. The song reminded me that while another day of normal activity was beginning here on earth,  Jesus and the heavenly hosts were fulfilling the hope of that song in heaven. I pictured them brightly singing of God's love, getting a head start on the rest of us in that forever song. It was a bittersweet moment of understanding their joy while being reminded again of God goodness.

Much of life is like that - joys and sorrows intermingled, making reminders of God's glory so vital. In the sadness of life, we need the anticipation of joy, the joy that comes from singing of God's love and enjoying His presence forever.

.....goodness

There's a Dennis the Menace cartoon in which Dennis and his friend Joey are walking away from the Wilson's house with their hands full of cookies.  

Joey asks, "I wonder what we did to deserve this?"

 

Dennis tells his friend, "Joey, Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we're nice, but because she's nice."

 

The same can be said of our Heavenly Father.  He gives, not because we're good, but because He's good. 

When we trust in Him and surrender our hearts and lives to Him, He saves us and forgives us.  

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us for our iniquities.  Instead, He is the one "...who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalm 103:4-5)

God is good, all the time - and - all the time, God is good!

 

integrity

Mark struggled with spelling. Staring at his spelling test, his heart sank. So many of the words seemed difficult, and he wasn’t sure how to spell most of them. Softly the enemy whispered, "Look at Jane's paper. She's an honor student and always gets them right!"

Mark hesitated, but he was desperate to make a good grade. He gave in and copied several answers from Jane’s paper.

The teacher noticed Mark’s actions and was really surprised because she had always thought of him as an honest boy. When it came time to collect the completed work, she saw Mark’s inner struggle reflected on his face of anguish. Finally, Mark bowed his head for a moment and then suddenly ripped his test paper into pieces and sat back in his chair with a sigh. Even though he had first given in to the temptation to cheat, he finally decided to take a zero on the test rather than be dishonest.

Calling Mark to her desk, the teacher said, “Mark, I was watching you. I want you to know that I am very proud of you for what you did just now. Today, you passed a much more important test than a spelling test.”

As followers of Christ, we sometimes focus on developing and presenting the right image while neglecting the spiritual discipline of integrity. Our public lives are only as authentic as our private lives. Image is who and what people think we are while integrity is who and what we really are. “Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together". We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact. When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost. When character is lost, all is lost.”

I have often heard it said that integrity is what you do when no one is watching or that character is best illustrated by how you treat people who can do absolutely nothing for you. Integrity is a heart issue and a spiritual habit that decides beforehand to do the right thing. Character counts. Integrity matters to God. 

Matthew 5:8 (NIV) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

1 Chronicles 28:9b “For the Lord searches every heart, and understands every desire and every thought.”

The word for “pure” means “ready for sacrifice.” In other words, the decisions and choices we make should be living sacrifices that are holy and acceptable to God as acts of worship.

To have integrity means to live an integrated life. That integration occurs when what we believe, what we think, what we say, and what we do are consistent. In reality, image really is nothing without integrity and character to back it up.

-adapted from mugisha bisanda

worries

I heard about a patient in a mental hospital who was holding his ear close to the wall, listening intently. The attendant finally approached. "Shh!" whispered the patient, beckoning him over. The attendant pressed his ear to the wall for a long time. "I can't hear a thing," he said. "I know," replied the patient, "it's been like that all day!"

Have you ever worried so much about things going wrong that you begin to worry when everything goes right? Worry probably does more than anything else to keep us from having peace of mind.

Psychologists (with nothing better to do) have come up with some statistics about our worries. They say that 40% of the things we worry about never happen, 30% of the things we worry about have already happened (and thus can't be changed), 12% of our worries focus on health concerns, and 10% of our worries are over insignificant things.

That means that over 80% of our worries are about things which are unimportant, or that we have absolutely no control over.

So, what have you been worrying about lately?  The scriptures tell us, "Don't be anxious, don't worry about anything, but trust in God with everything.  He will give you his peace about every situation you face." 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

Don't be anxious.  Stop worrying.

broken

Jesus said, " Blessed are the poor in spirit".  

Contrary to what we would expect, brokenness is the pathway to blessing!  There are no alternative routes; there are no short-cuts.  

The very thing we dread and are tempted to resist is actually the means to God s greatest blessings in our lives.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." (Psalm 51:17) 

-nancy leigh demoss

.............ask........

I heard about an old blacksmith who realized he was soon going to have to quit working so hard. With retirement in mind, he picked out a strong young man to become his apprentice, who, as fate would have it, was not the smartest fellow around. The old blacksmith was crabby, impatient and exacting. He told the young man, "Don't ask me a lot of questions; Just do whatever I tell you to do and you will do fine."

One day the old blacksmith took a white hot iron out of the forge and laid it on the anvil. "Get the hammer over there," he said to the boy, "When I nod my head, hit it real good and hard."

Now the town is looking for a new blacksmith.

"Don't ask me a lot of questions" is not very good advice. The truth is, it is almost always in our best interest to ask questions. Ask questions to learn something you don't know. Ask questions to clarify something you're not sure about. Ask questions to gain a new perspective on a matter.

Think of the men and women in the scriptures who asked questions:

The disciples came to Jesus and "asked him about the parable (of the sower)" (Mark 4:10). They received the best commentary in the world on Jesus' parables -- from Jesus himself! Why? Because they asked.

John the Baptist asked a good question -- "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" (Luke 7:20) Even though this may have appeared to be a "stupid question" coming from John, Jesus sent him a gracious answer.

The Philippian jailer asked perhaps the most important question in the world -- "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30) which led him to respond to Christ in an obedient faith.

I have known many people through the years who were hesitant to ask questions -- either in a classroom setting or even in private -- because they didn't want to appear to be stupid. As the saying goes, "There are no stupid questions." Don't be afraid to ask. The more you are willing ask, the more you will have the opportunity to learn!

-alan smith

warnings

"A West Virginia State Trooper stopped a woman for going 15 miles over the speed limit.  After he handed her a ticket, she asked him, "Don't you give out warnings?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "They're all up and down the road. They say, 'Speed Limit 55.'"  (from Readers Digest, "All In a Day's Work", by Patricia Greenlee)

This story reminds me that one day we will stand before the great Judge.  There are many people who expect they will receive merely a "warning" and then they will be given an opportunity to try again.  The response on that day will be, "I gave out plenty of warnings -- all through your life -- but you ignored them all."

Remember the rich man in Luke 16 who died and went to Hades?  He begged for a messenger to be sent back as a warning to his brothers.  The response he got was this:

"They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them....If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead." (Luke 16:29,31)

The warnings are there, all over the road.  If we ignore the warnings and live the way we want to live rather than for the glory of God, then we shouldn't be surprised when the punishment is issued on the Last Day.

The warnings are there -- listen and heed them.

-alan smith

control

That title sounds familiar. I suspect if I were to go back through the archives of articles I have written, sermons I have preached and devotionals I have read or delivered, there would probably be no more common theme that the prayer, "Lord, take control."

The prayer has been prayed in times of decision and indecision. The prayer has been prayed during times of turmoil and frustration and confusion. The prayer has been prayed in hospital rooms, intensive care units, in business meetings, before, during and after surgery, in times of fear, and times of great confidence. The prayer has been prayed while standing next to a crib, while standing next to a hospital bed, and while standing next to a casket.

There have been many times after praying the prayer that I have experienced a sense of peace and quiet comfort has washed over me. There have been other times after praying the prayer that I have been consumed with fear and overcome with panic. There have been times when I felt that He really took control. There have been times when I wondered why He did not take control. And there have been times when I did not feel or sense anything.

So what makes the difference?

The difference seems to be found not in the prayer, whether prayed one time or a dozen times. The difference seems to be found in whether or not I have also incorporated an attitude of submission and surrender. Not only is it essential that I pray, "Lord, take control!"  I must also pray, "I surrender" or "I am in submission to You."

I can pray, "Lord, take control!" all night and all day, but unless I submit to His control it is futile. I can beg and plead, "Lord, take control!" with all the sincerity and emotion I can muster, but it is not until I truly submit that I will experience the power of God at work in my life.

Job said it this way, "Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you"  (Job 22:21, NIV).

James said this, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7, NIV).

I must yield to His control. I must surrender to His will. I must give up my control and allow Him to take control. I must defer to His leadership. I must give in to His plans.

 Lord, take control. I surrender.

....................nothing..............

During the late 50's and early 60's, a man by the name of Bobby Richardson played second base for the NY Yankees. 

Bobby Richardson was nominated as MVP of the American League nine times. He played in seven All-Star Games. He won five Gold Glove Awards. And he was the only man in baseball history to ever win the World Series MVP Award while playing for the losing team.

In the later years of Bobby Richardson's career, he coached the baseball team at Liberty University. The reason such a great player was willing to coach at a Christian university was because Bobby Richardson was himself a committed follower of Jesus Christ.

During a speech at a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson was called upon to pray and here is his prayer:  "Dear God, Your will.  Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."

May that be your prayer today.  

"Dear God, Your will.  Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.  Amen."

rainbow

You do not see a rainbow on a cloudless, rainless day. 

You see the rainbow when there are clouds and rain.  

So the most beautiful and most valuable experiences of your life will not be in the day of the unclouded sky and the serene sunlight, but in the days of adversity and of sorrow and trial.  

Then God's greatest and most gracious truths proclaim themselves across the firmament of our life.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3

-clarence macartney

dresser

A woman was dying of AIDS and her family called a minister to come visit her. He attempted to share God's love with her, but she just wouldn’t respond. She told the minister... "I am lost - I have ruined my life and every life around me. Now, I'm going painfully to hell. There is no hope for me."

The minister saw a framed picture of a pretty girl on the dresser. "Who is this?" he asked. The woman brightened up and smiled and said, "She’s my daughter, the one beautiful thing in my life."

"And would you help her if she was in trouble, or made a mistake? Would you forgive her? Would you still love her?"

The woman responded "Of course I would. I would do anything for her! Why do you ask such a question?"

The minister looked at her and said, "Because I want you to know," said the minister, "that God has a picture of you on His dresser."

God has a picture of you on His dresser. You may be just the person that needs to hear that today - or maybe there is someone in your life who needs a phone call or a text from you to let them know that God has a picture of them on His dresser.  "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)  

hasty

The story is told of five doctors went duck shooting one day.  Included in the group were a General Practitioner, a pediatrician, a psychiatrist, a surgeon and a pathologist.  After a while, a bird came flying overhead.  The first to react was the GP who raised his shotgun, but then hesitated.   "I'm not quite sure it's a duck," he said.  "I need to get a second opinion."  And of course by that time, the bird was long gone.

Soon another bird appeared in the sky.  This time the pediatrician aimed his gun.  However, he too was unsure if it was really a duck in his sights and besides, it might have babies.  "I need to do some more investigation," he muttered, as the creature made good its escape.

Next to spy a flying bird was the sharp-eyed psychiatrist.  Shotgun shouldered, he was more certain of his intended prey's identity.  "I know it's a duck, but does it know it's a duck?"   While the doctor wrestled with this dilemma, the fortunate bird disappeared.

Finally, a fourth fowl sped past and this time the surgeon's weapon pointed skywards.  BOOM!!  The surgeon lowered his smoking gun and turned nonchalantly to the pathologist beside him:  "Go see if that was a duck, will you?"

We've all been guilty at times of shooting first and asking questions later.  That's why we have the proverb, "Look before you leap."  Of course, we also have a proverb which tells us of the danger in delay -- "He who hesitates is lost."  So which is it?  Which is the wiser advice?

     "How long will you lie there, you lazy person?  When will you get up from sleeping?" (Proverbs 6:9. NCV)

     "....Those who act too quickly become poor." (Proverbs 21:5b, NCV)

The truth is, there's danger in both extremes.  It is necessary to look ahead and plan before taking action (Jesus called that "counting the cost"), but we have to be careful not to procrastinate so much that we never get anything accomplished.  It is a wise man indeed who can find the proper balance.

Heavenly Father, I freely confess there have been many times in my life when I have been paralyzed by analyzing the situation, and have fail to step forward in faith as you would have me to.  And I also recognize the many times I have wildly plunged ahead without giving much thought to what I was doing, and later regretted my actions.  Bless me with the wisdom to live with the proper balance in my life.  In the name of Jesus Christ (who always knew what to do and when to do it), amen.

-alan smith

storms

"One night while my young son, Ryan, was sleeping, a storm began brewing outside.  After a loud clap of thunder, I heard him wake up so I headed toward his room to comfort him.  He asked me to stay with him until he fell asleep.  As I lay there I realized he hadn't asked me to make the storm go away, but to stay with him.  How many times, I wondered, have I asked God to take away the storms of life, when instead I need to ask him to stay with me and help me weather them more peacefully?"

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Father, we do indeed pray for your comforting presence in the storms of our lives.  As much as we might desire for the storms to go away, it is much important to us that you remain with us and see us through the storms. Thank you for your assurance that you will do that for us.  In Jesus' name, amen.

-kim sherer

position

“Sometimes you are unsatisfied with your life, while many people in this world are dreaming of living your life. A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead and dreams of flying. But, a pilot on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of returning home That's life!! Enjoy yours.

If wealth is the secret to happiness, then the

rich should be dancing on the streets. But only poor kids do that.

If power ensures security, then officials

should walk unguarded. But those who live simply, sleep soundly.

If beauty and fame bring ideal relationships,

then celebrities should have the best marriages.

But those who live simply, walk humbly and love genuinely!

All good will come back to you!!! Man asks, “Where was God when Myles Munroe, wife and his associates were killed in a crash? He answers, "The same place I sat when John the Baptist my servant was beheaded. When Stephen my servant was stoned to death. Paul my servant was murdered in Rome brutally crucified, wounded, bruised and killed. I have not moved from my position." 

I am the same. 

It is not the means of exit from earth that matters but the destination. 

Live simply. 

It's all about God!

-ben carson

view

A teenage boy lost a contact lens while playing basketball in his driveway.  After a fruitless search, he told his mother the lens was no where to be found. Undaunted, she went outside and in a few minutes returned with the eyepiece in her hand.

     "How did you manage to find it, Mom?" the teenager asked.

"We weren't looking for the same thing," she replied. "You were looking for a small piece of plastic. I was looking for $150."

It is so true that our passion and persistence in doing something will be largely determined by its value in our eyes.  For example, evangelism will never be a top priority as long as you see your next-door neighbor as simply a middle-aged guy with a pot belly.  When you see him as an valuable soul whose eternal destiny will be determined by his relationship with God, suddenly things are different.

If you see your involvement at church as simply cleaning out a baptistry or corralling a herd of 4-year-olds for an hour, you will quickly lose heart.  When you see your involvement as an essential element in the building up of the kingdom of God, you will not "grow weary while doing good" (Gal. 6:9).

     "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." (Col. 3:2)

 Looking at earthly things from a heavenly perspective will change the value of things in our mind.  And that, in turn, will change how diligently we seek to do the things of God.
-alan smith

freedom

I am moved to consider a greater freedom - my freedom in Christ. It is the freedom that comes with being a disciple of Jesus Christ. "If you abide in my word," our Lord declares, "you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32).

This statement was shocking to Jesus’ audience. These proud men thought they already had all the freedom they needed by virtue of being "offspring of Abraham" (8:33). Jesus proceeds to point them beyond any national, social or religious freedom they might enjoy to the freedom that comes through His person and work: "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin" "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (8:34,36). Contrary to what Jesus’ listeners thought, they were in bondage to sin and subject to the tyranny of it.

Commenting on this passage of Scripture Leon Morris writes, "People do not always, or even usually, realize that they are in bondage. They tend to rest in some fancied position of privilege - national, social or religious. So these Jews, proud of their religion, did not even know of their need to be free." Even as Christians, we can fall prey to the temptation to trust in other things for our freedom from the tyranny of sin - status, money, good works, associations, etc. But the true disciple finds freedom in Christ and Christ alone.

What am I trusting in today?  Our national freedom is precious, but our freedom in Christ is of infinite worth.

The great singer-songwriter Chris Tomlin was undoubtedly moved by his freedom in Christ when he penned this stanza in his song "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)"...My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing Grace

The saving truth that Jesus speaks of in John 8:32 brings ultimate freedom - freedom from sin and death and the devil; freedom from a life of futility and an eternity of wrath. It is freedom from the tyranny of hate and bitterness and cruelty. It is the freedom to love God and neighbor

-adapted

live

It is not enough to own a Bible; we must read it.
It is not enough to read it; we must let it speak to us.
It is not enough to let it speak to us; we must believe.
It is not enough to believe; we must live it.

"Be ye doers of the Word; and not hearers only..." (James 1:22)
 -william a. ward

.....................Jesus

Once an old woman from the hills planned a trip to the city to worship in a mighty church. “How wonderful,” she thought as she tended her goats, “to worship Him, not alone in these hills, but with hundreds of other Christians! How great to praise Him in a splendid house of worship!”

     The goat woman’s face gleamed with happiness and anticipation as she trudged the difficult, rocky trail to the little village where she would take a bus to the city. Her eyes were bright as she asked the ticket agent for a ticket, but they clouded when he told her that the pile of coins she emptied from her purse was not enough to pay her fare.

At last a passing motorist gave her a ride, and she arrived at the church just as the service began. The old woman, her face alight, ready to meet and greet her Master in this beautiful worship place, hurried eagerly down the aisle, determined not to miss a minute of the service. Surely the heavens had opened this morning, and God’s angels themselves were present. The sonorous, rolling tones of the organ heralded the entry of the robed choir. Gratefully she drifted into an empty pew, her hands clasped, her sun-and dust-cracked lips murmuring, “Thank you, dear Jesus,” as her eyes fastened on the angelic choir.

But an usher touched her shoulder. “This pew is reserved,” he said, and led her to a seat in the rear. Eyes turned, necks craned, lips smiled.

“I’m not wanted here!” the mountain woman thought, but she reassured herself: “This is God’s house; these are God’s people. I am one of His children; therefore these people are my brothers. They are only inching away from me to make more room.”

So again the light and shine came to the old woman’s face, and she sang and prayed the Lord’s Prayer and worshiped with the others. When an usher pushed an offering plate into her hand, she looked at it in amazement! It was bulging with small, fat envelopes, bills, and silver. She had her coin ready, but now she was sick with disgust at herself.

“My all is not too much,” she chided herself, and with an apologetic smile for the usher, she emptied her treasury of coins into the plate. Now she felt better. She belonged.

The little goat woman sat up straight and proud and listened to the words of the great preacher. She couldn’t always follow, but she felt that Jesus came and sat in the seat beside her and was pleased that she had made this sacrifice—the preparation, the long walk without food, the gift of all her savings.

 At the close of the preaching service the Communion bread was passed. Ah, she knew the meaning of this, even before the preacher said the words, “. . . my body. . . . broken for you.” She reached out, humbly, for the bread. Through her bent body surged an unutterable joy that here, in this beautiful place, in quiet and peace and companionship, she could celebrate the Lord’s Supper with Jesus. Then a voice whispered, “Only for those who have accepted Christ,” and the plate was whisked away.

“Only for those. . . .” Why, not only had she accepted Jesus, but He had accepted her! How could she have endured the cruel winters in the little shack, the hot summers on the hillside, without Christ? She had talked to Him in the cool of the night, there on the mountain, seeing Him in the bright little stars, feeling Him in the breezes that whispered through the pines.

At the close of the service the preacher raised his eyes to the mighty beams of the ceiling and said, “We have done this in memory of Thee, our Master, our Jesus.”

The old woman felt that a curtain had suddenly descended, shutting her out. She raised her hands in a gesture that was meant to tear the curtain away, and cried, in a voice that held as much authority in this church—this triumph of architecture, acoustics, and elegance—as it did for the goats out on the mountain, “He is my Jesus, too!”

Every sound quieted, every head turned toward the little old goat woman. Limping down the aisle, she turned and faced the congregation.

 ''I’ll tell you why I know He’s my Jesus. He was poor like me. He forgave the woman who was a sinner. Long ago He forgave me. He washed the feet of those who were weary, as I’m weary. He said, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ He meant me, too, because often I have gone to Him and He has given me rest. He mingled with the ugly, the twisted, the unclean. He even touched lepers. He came and sat beside me this morning when others of you pulled away.

“I saw your offering plate overflowing with money today, and I was ashamed of my own small coins until I remembered that He praised the widow who gave her mite. You shut me out of your service, and you shut Him out, too. He is standing beside me, and He’ll go back with me to my hills and my goats and my shack. Stone and brick and fine glass and reserved pews don’t attract Him. You’ve been fooled when you thought He was here with you.”

The old woman turned and faced the preacher.         
 ''I’m sorry for you all,” she said. “He would have been happy to be your Jesus, too, if you had wanted Him.” She stated it simply.

A look of yearning filled the eyes of the preacher. “You have preached the noblest sermon ever heard in this church,” he said, “and you are right. Jesus has been absent. But stay with us; teach us. We want to say, ‘He is our Jesus,’ as you did.”

The old woman shook her head. “I must get back to my goats,” she said aloud. To herself she thought, “They do want Jesus, and they’ll find Him. They just got lost for a while. Their souls got tangled up in too much wealth and elegance.”

Every head turned to watch the old woman make her way out of the church. But this time there was respect and admiration on their faces.

 “Let us pray,” the preacher said as he went down on his knees.

 There was a rustle and a swish and a creaking of joints as, for the first time in years, the congregation of the city’s largest church went onto its knees.

In the foyer of the great church the goat woman paused. Looking back at the kneeling congregation, she murmured, “My Jesus, your Jesus, everybody’s Jesus.”

—mildred cole, These Times, December 1955.