...think

Recently I have been picking a book - usually a short one - out of the Bible and reading it non-stop. I try to take the time to let it speak to my mind and my heart.

The last few days I have been reading the book of Second Timothy. This verse caught my mind and my heart, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." The two words that caught my attention were "sound mind". Actually, there is one compound Greek word that is translated "sound mind". [sos = safe + phren = mind, thus "safe-thinking"]

Oh, how we have a need in our world today for "safe-thinking"! "Safe-thinking" is found in the Word of God. The Apostle Paul stated it this way, "Finally, my brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

What more contemporary words of encouragement for wholesome, "safe-thinking" could be given than these? In a world filled with the antithesis of "safe-thinking" what better guidelines than those found in Philippians 4:8? 

I  am concerned that, in today's media, we find much that is unwholesome and unsafe. Television is filled with programs and commercials that take us away from "safe-thinking", and move us toward the profane and dark side of mankind.

The descending maelstrom of today's media blitz is weakening the foundation of gospel truth and Christ-centered thinking which set this nation's foundation. Proverbs 23:7 declares, "For as a man thinks in his heart, so he is…" Thoughts generate direction, and direction determines destination. We all would do well, in the unwholesome media blitz, to consider what direction our thoughts are encouraging us to go, and what destination we are headed for.

In a world whose airwaves are being filled with "darkness", and are controlled by the prince of the power of the air, I would like to encourage us all to follow the Apostle Paul's exhortation in Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed (Don’t allow peer pressure and trends to be the model to follow) to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, (by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit) - that you may prove (by testing the truth of Scripture) what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

-ken trevithick

marketplace

It appears to me that more people who claim to be Christ-followers in this world are caught up in "doing church" over "being church". Church isn't a place. It isn't a set of ritual acts. It isn't the performance abilities of teachers or musicians. Church is the life of Jesus on display through his people – with Jesus functioning as head and all his people as various parts of his body in the world.

 

Jerry Cook tells a story about Richard C. Halverson that illustrates the contrast between "doing" and "being" as the people who confess Christ.

 

Dr. Halverson was chaplain of the United States Senate for several years. He would occasionally visit the seminary where Cook was a student. After one of those visits to speak to students, he joined a group of them for coffee and made himself available for informal conversation.

 

"Dr. Halverson," began one of the seminarians, "where is your church?"  The student was asking about the street location of the Presbyterian Church Halverson served, but he got a deeper and more insightful answer.

 

"Well, its three o'clock in Washington, D.C. The church I pastor is all over the city right now. It's driving buses, serving meals in restaurants, sitting in board meetings, having discussions in the Pentagon, deliberating in Congress." He proceeded with a long list of roles and responsibilities where his church was functioning that day. "And periodically we get together at a building on Fourth Street," he added, "but we don't spend a lot of our time there."

 

The pastor-chaplain was not naive with his answer. He was brilliant. And he had the clear intent to challenge a young would-be pastor to raise his sights above the Sunday event of church as an assembly. Or even church as programs and budgets and organization. The church was never intended to be isolated from the world but to penetrate it as salt does food. Jesus wants his people to be "in the world" but not "of the world" – functioning as light to dark places.

 

Where will you be today? In meetings? On the phone? Calling on clients? Teaching algebra? Cleaning house? Delivering products? Delivering speeches? Delivering babies? Wherever you will be and whatever you are doing there, you will be part of the spread-out, scattered-over-the-world church. Your role is to be a stand-in for Jesus, to make the world a better place and to invite people to receive his free gift of salvation.

 

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)

-steve blair

 

title

Some years ago radio evangelist Charles E. Fuller announced that he would speak the following Sunday on "Heaven." It was to be broadcast on radio. During that week he received a letter from an elderly gentleman who was very ill. 

Here is part of that letter: "Next Sabbath you are to talk about 'Heaven.' I am interested in that land because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for over 55 years. I did not buy it. It was given to me without money and without price. But the donor purchased it for me at a tremendous sacrifice. 

I am not holding it for speculation since the title is nontransferable. It is not a vacant lot. For more than a half-century I have been sending material out of which the greatest architect and builder of the universe has been building a home for me, which will never need to be repaired because it will suit me perfectly, individually, and will never grow old. 

Termites can never undermine its foundation for it rests upon the Rock of Ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods cannot wash it away. No locks or bolts will ever be placed upon its doors, for no vicious person can ever enter that land where my dwelling stands, now almost completed and ready for me to enter it and abide in peace eternally without fear of being ejected. 

There is a valley of deep shadow between the place where I currently live and that to which I shall journey in a very short time. I cannot reach my home in the City of God without passing through the dark valley of shadows. But I am not afraid, because the best friend that I have ever had went through the same valley alone, a long, long, time ago and drove away all the gloom. He has stuck by me through thick and thin since we first met and became acquainted 55 years ago, and I hold His promise in printed form, never to forsake nor to leave me alone. He will be with me as I walk through the valley of shadows, and I shall not lose my way when He is with me. 

I hope to hear your sermon on "Heaven" next Sabbath from my home, but I have no assurance that I shall be able to do so. 

? who

 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false. (John 1:47)

I read how Ray, an energetic three-year-old, liked to play being Superman.  Each morning he would have his mother pin a bath towel to the back of his T-shirt and off he'd go imagining he was wearing the magic blue and red cape pretending he was Superman. In his mind he came to believe he was Superman.

Then came kindergarten. When the teacher asked Ray for his name, he replied, "Superman." Trying to hide her amusement she asked again, "I need to know your real name." Again he replied in all sincerity, "Superman."

The teacher, still trying to hide her amusement, got down to Ray's level and, looking squarely into Ray's eyes, said quite firmly, "I need to know your real name. What is it?"

Little Ray looked around the room, making sure no one was listening and, leaning close to the teacher, whispered in her ear, "I'm Clark Kent."

We smile at a child's innocence and make-believe world. But in reality some of us, afraid of being known for who we truly are, have hidden behind a pretend-mask for so long that we have come to believe that the role we play is the real us. In doing so, we fail to realize that the loneliness we struggle with is caused by our living in a make-believe world, neither knowing who we are or being known for who we are. For we can only ever be loved and connected to other loving people to the degree that we are known. Masks can't be loved. Only real people can be loved.

Let's learn to be like Nathanial about whom Jesus said when he first saw him, "Here comes a man in whom there is nothing false." Or in our language, "Here comes an honest man."

...and...

Herb Caen writes, in the San Francisco Chronicle, "every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."

When we awaken each morning, we must realize that "The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8)

In Psalm 5, we read that David came to God early in the morning and asked for his protection and help. We also need to pay attention to the vital importance of prayer.

"The Secret" 

By Bishop Ralph Cushman 

I met God in the morning 

When the day was at its best, 

And His Presence came like sunrise, 

Like a glory in my breast. 

All day long the Presence lingered, 

All day long He stayed with me, 

And we sailed in perfect calmness 

O'er a very troubled sea. 

Other ships were blown and battered, 

Other ships were sore distressed, 

But the winds that seemed to drive them, 

Brought to me a peace and rest. 

Then I thought of other mornings, 

With a keen remorse of mind, 

When I too had loosed the moorings, 

With the presence left behind. 

So, I think I know the secret, 

Learned from many a troubled way: 

You must seek Him in the morning 

If you want Him through the day! 

rely

Rely not on yourselves, but on God...

He delivered us...

He will deliver us...

He will continue to deliver us..." (2 Corinthians 1:9-11)

I quit!

I've tried my best to live

...as God expects me to

...as my family expects me to

I want to do the best, but I always fail.

I give up!

There's no use trying!

I just fail...

"Rely not on yourselves, but on God...

He delivered us

He will deliver us

He will continue to deliver us"

Again and again and again

like food, 

like sleep,

God will give us strength every day.

"Rely not on yourselves, but on God"

 

daily

opulence.  If all God hears from you is Give me this money, Give me this home, Give me this job, power, social status, ect., then you have missed the point of prayer.

Matthew 7 makes a statement about which prayers the Father will and will not answer.  These are very, very powerful verses of Scripture because they simple say, “Ask.”  Asking is not a difficult thing to do.  In fact, if you have children, you know that they are almost constantly "asking".  When was the last time your child came to you and said, "Dad, Mom, what can I do for you today?"

God invites His children to be children.  Ask, Seek, Knock.  And if those statements are not staggering enough, notice to whom He delivers that invitation: everyone!

The natural reaction at this point is, “Wait a minute!  I’ve been asking for years.  I’ve been knocking longer than that.  And I’ve been seeking, and I haven’t found anything.  You just said that Jesus was teaching us to pray about sustenance, not opulence.”  Isn’t this a contradiction?  Doesn’t this passage offer an open-ended promise of provision? 

Not quite.  That’s why reading the Bible in context is so important.  Pay special attention to the two comparisons: bread and fish to stone and snake.  What is the point?  Very simply, bread and fish are good for you; stones and snakes are not.  The earthly son has requested two good items, the earthly father responds accordingly.  The reverse is also true.  If an earthly son asked for a stone to eat, any loving father would refuse.

To follow through with our analogy, God is not saying, “Ask for whatever you want.”  Instead, He is saying, “Ask for what is good.”  When you ask for good things, our heavenly Father will surely approve, and He will never substitute something harmful.  If you have prayed for something you desire with all your heart and have not received it, it is because this desire is either not good or not good for now.  God is either saying “No” or “Wait”.

Ask, and it shall be given you;

seek, and ye shall find;

knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth;

and he that seeketh findeth;

and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

—Matthew 7:7-9

settle

The story is told of a professor who stood before his class of 20 senior organic biology students, about to hand out the final exam.

"I want to say that it's been a pleasure teaching you this semester. I know you've all worked extremely hard and many of you are off to medical school after summer.  So that no one gets their GPA messed up because they might have been celebrating a bit too much this week, anyone who would like to opt out of the final exam today will receive a "B" for the course."

There was much rejoicing amongst the class as students got up, passed by the professor to thank him and sign out on his offer.  As the last taker left the room, the professor looked out over the handful of remaining students and asked, "Any one else?  This is your last chance." One final student rose up and took the offer.

The professor closed the door and took attendance of those students remaining.  "I'm glad to see you believe in yourself." he said.  "You all have "A's."

Too often, we're content to settle for second best.  A lot of students would be thrilled to settle for a "B" ("That's better than I usually get." "That's doing better than most of the others I know.").  And most students, I think, would rather get a "B" with little time spent studying, than to make the effort it takes to get an "A".

A lot of us are content to settle for second best in our spiritual lives as well.  We're close to God (at least closer than many people we know), but we aren't willing to take the time and the effort to have the kind of relationship we know God wants us to have.

The biggest problem with settling for second best is that we miss out on that which is best.

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!'  'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.' " (Luke 10:42)

What Martha was doing was good (second best, even), but "Mary has chosen what is better."  May we always seek out and choose "what is better" in our relationship with God!

-alan smith

lost

Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb. . . they laid Jesus there. (NIV) John 19:40-42

After hanging on the cross for nearly 6 hours, Jesus bows His head and breathes His last breathe. As evening approaches, a rich man named Joseph, boldly goes to Pontius Pilate and asks for Jesus' body. Joseph is a prominent member of the Jewish Supreme Court, who secretly has become a disciple of Jesus. Pilate orders Jesus' body to be given to Joseph.

Joseph, accompanied by Nicodemus, takes down the body, wraps it in a clean linen cloth. Then he places it in a new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolls a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and goes away. Mary Magdalene and some other women had followed Joseph, see the tomb where Jesus' body is laid. Friday evening comes to an end with not much to look forward to on Saturday. . .

That's it - here's a man who lived a good life, but died a criminal's death. Jesus' disciples were most likely trying to make new plans for their futures. Hope was gone, He had died on the cross. End of story. . . or so it seems. Little did they know what Sunday would bring! Jesus Christ back from the dead!

Are you in a waiting mode? waiting for circumstances to change? for health to be restored? for a spouse to begin a relationship with Christ? for a child to return to God? As you wait, where are your eyes? Are they on "Saturday's" circumstances? or on "Sunday's" hope?

The disciples were only seeing what the present moment brought. . . despair and disappointment. We know the rest of the story. . . that on Easter morn, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. . . once and for all defeating death and offering hope to all who believe in Him. If you feel like you're experiencing "Saturday's waiting mode", look for Jesus and know without a doubt that in Him you have a glorious eternal future!
-marji kruger

playing

Mee Spousler of the Mount Hope United Methodist Church, in Aston, PA., tells how she was trying to put her three-year-old son to bed for a nap.

When she was unsuccessful, she put him in her bed and laid down with him to encourage him to rest. She fell asleep, but he didn't. When she woke up, she saw him sitting on a chair at the end of the bed, and asked, "Luke, what are you doing?"

"I'm playing God," he replied.

"Playing God?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "I'm watching over you while you sleep."

Children understand more than we do sometimes. God IS watching over us. Jesus gave that promise in talking about the Holy Spirit. Not only will God watch over us but through the presence and reminder of the Holy Spirit, we will be reminded of what it means to "Love Jesus and keep his commands." And God will help us to create the environment of love, grace, faith and security that we need for our homes today. Our challenge is to listen to the Holy Spirit and to trust Christ.

-billy strayhorn

integrity

In October 1985, Reuben Gonzales was playing in the final match of a professional racquetball tournament. It was Gonzales' first shot at a victory on the pro circuit, and he was playing the perennial champion.

In the fourth and final game, at match point, Gonzales made a super "kill" shot into the front wall to win it all.  The referee called it good. One of the two linesmen affirmed that the shot was in.

 

But Gonzales, after a moment's hesitation, turned around, shook his opponent's hand, and declared that his shot had "slapped" into the wall, hitting the court floor first. As a result, he lost the match. He walked off the court.

Everybody was stunned.

The next issue of National Racquetball Magazine displayed Reuben Gonzales on its front cover. The story searched for an explanation of this first-ever occurrence on the professional racquetball circuit.

Who could ever imagine it in any sport or endeavor? A player, with everything officially in his favor, with victory in his hand, disqualified himself at match point and lost!

When asked why he did it, Reuben replied, "It was the only thing I could do to maintain my integrity."

Reuben Gonzales realized that he could always win another match, but he could never regain his lost integrity

"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity; And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering." (Psalms 26:1)

Suggested Prayer: "Dear God, Please give me the courage to stand by my convictions, maintain integrity, and live honestly - before men and you.  gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen"

...go

John 10:28  ". . . neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.  In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out of the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.  He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.  Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a u-turn to swim to his father.

It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. An incredible tug-of-war between the two began. The alligator was much stronger than the father but the father was much too passionate to let go, and dug his nails into the little boy's arms.

A farmer driving by heard the screams of the child, and after retrieving a rifle from his truck, raced to the water's edge and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks in the hospital, the little boy recovered.

The local newspaper reporter interviewing the boy after the trauma asked if he would show him his scars.  The little boy lifted his pant legs and said, "These are the scars from where the alligator tried to pull me under the water."  Then, he rolled up his shirt sleeves and said, "Now look at my arms.  These are the scars where my father wouldn't let me go."

Each of us is marked.  Yes, there are scars we bear in our lives because of poor choices we have made.  But if we look closely, there are other marks we have incurred, where a loving sovereign God has refused to let us go.  At the time, His grip of grace may seem painful, but it is all for our protection, so that we may be preserved to live, and testify of His tender mercies that He reveals to us with each new day.

johnie akers

pardoned

"But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  (Romans 5:8)

The story is told about a young man who received a ticket for a speeding violation. As he stood before the judge, the judge found himself in a dilemma because he knew the young man didn't have any money to pay the fine and he didn't want to send him to jail.  However, the judge had to fine the young man $150, which was the accepted amount for this traffic violation. Immediately after the judge handed down the sentence, he stepped away from the bench, took off his robes, went to the defendant and paid the fine for him.

The young man was his own son whom he loved.

That's what God's Son, Jesus Christ, did for us on the cross of Calvary. God's justice required death as the automatic judgment upon our sin. However, because he loved us, the Son of God laid aside his "judge's robes," stepped out of the "ivory palaces" of heaven, came to earth and identified with us as a man, and died on the cross in our place to save us from our sins.

Because of this, God offers each of us a free pardon with forgiveness for all our sins and gives us his gift of eternal life. Jesus, the Son of God, paid the "fine/penalty" for us with his life. All we need to do is confess our sinfulness and accept his gift of salvation - the greatest gift known to man.

"He paid a debt He didn't owe to free us from a price we couldn't pay."

-dick innes

strength

 

A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.   "Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"

 

"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.  Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

 

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

 

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. "No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."

 

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: He dropped his guard.  Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

 

On the way home, the boy and the sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.  "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"

 

"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.

 

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

 

...heart

"So he got up and went to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."  (Luke 15:20)

While he was still a long way off...

The father knew the son's heart!

He did not say,

"Here comes that scoundrel...

What does he expect from me? A loan?"

Perhaps we are a long way off

from being what God expects of us.

We are so far down the road

that anyone else might suspect our motives

for calling on the Father

Perhaps we are Christian

for what we can get out of it.

But God can see...

even though the distance is great

...the direction of our steps and

...the purpose of our heart

And if that purpose is a longing

...for a renewed relationship

...or a closer tie

God's heart will go out to us

Even though we are "still a long way off".

winner

I was watching some little kids play soccer. These kids were only five or six years old, but they were playing a real game - a serious game - two teams, complete with coaches, uniforms, and parents. I didn't know any of them, so I was able to enjoy the game without the distraction of being anxious about winning or losing - I wished the parents and coaches could have done the same.

The teams were pretty evenly matched. I will just call them Team One and Team Two. Nobody scored in the first period. The kids were hilarious. They were clumsy and terribly inefficient. They fell over their own feet, they stumbled over the ball, they kicked at the ball and missed it but they didn't seem to care. They were having fun.

In the second quarter, the Team One coach pulled out what must have been his first team and put in the scrubs, except for his best player who now guarded the goal.

The game took a dramatic turn. I guess winning is important even when you're five years old - because the Team Two coach left his best players in, and the Team One scrubs were no match for them. Team Two swarmed around the little guy who was now the Team One goalie. He was an outstanding athlete, but he was no match for three or four who were also very good. Team Two began to score. The lone goalie gave it everything he had, recklessly throwing his body in front of incoming balls, trying valiantly to stop them.

Team Two scored two goals in quick succession. It infuriated the young boy. He became a raging maniac - shouting, running, diving. With all the stamina he could muster, he covered the boy who now had the ball, but that boy kicked it to another boy twenty feet away, and by the time he repositioned himself, it was too late - they scored a third goal.

I soon learned who the goalie's parents were. They were nice, decent-looking people. I could tell that his dad had just come from the office - he still had his suit and tie on. They yelled encouragement to their son. I became totally absorbed, watching the boy on the field and his parents on the sidelines. After the third goal, the little kid changed. He could see it was no use; he couldn't stop them.

He didn't quit, but he became quietly desperate futility was written all over him. His father changed too. He had been urging his son to try harder - yelling advice and encouragement. But then he changed. He became anxious. He tried to say that it was okay - to hang in there. He grieved for the pain his son was feeling.

After the fourth goal, I knew what was going to happen. I've seen it before. The little boy needed help so badly, and there was no help to be had. He retrieved the ball from the net and handed to the referee - and then he cried. He just stood there while huge tears rolled down both cheeks. He went to his knees and put his fists to his eyes - and he cried the tears of the helpless and broken-hearted.

When the boy went to his knees, I saw the father start onto the field. His wife clutched his arm and said, "Jim, don't. You'll embarrass him." But he tore loose from her and ran onto the field. He wasn't supposed to - the game was still in progress. Suit, tie, dress shoes, and all - he charged onto the field, and he picked up his son so everybody would know that this was his boy, and he hugged him and held him and cried with him. I've never been so proud of a man in my life.

He carried him off the field, and when he got close to the sidelines I heard him say, "Scotty, I'm so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son."

"Daddy," the boy sobbed, "I couldn't stop them. I tried, Daddy, I tried and tried, and they scored on me."

"Scotty, it doesn't matter how many times they scored on you. You're my son, and I'm proud of you. I want you to go back out there and finish the game. I know you want to quit, but you can't. And, son, you're going to get scored on again, but it doesn't matter. Go on, now." It made a difference - I could tell it did.

When you're all alone, and you're getting scored on - and you can't stop them - it means a lot to know that it doesn't matter to those who love you. The little guy ran back on to the field - and they scored two more times - but it was okay.

I get scored on every day. I try so hard. I recklessly throw my body in every direction. I fume and rage. I struggle with temptation and sin with every ounce of my being - and Satan laughs. And he scores again, and the tears come, and I go to my knees - sinful, convicted, helpless. And my Father - my Father rushes right out on the field - right in front of the whole crowd - the whole jeering, laughing world - and he picks me up, and he hugs me and he says, "John, I'm so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son, and because I control the outcome of this game, I declare you..

 

                                                                                                                  "The Winner!"

died

"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)

Dwight L. Moody told about a story about a young man who was called to serve in Napoleon Bonaparte's army but didn't want to go. A friend volunteered to go in his place and was accepted as his substitute. Unfortunately, the friend was later killed in battle.

However, because of a clerical error the same young man was called up to serve again. "You can't take me. I'm dead. I died on the battlefield," he told the astonished officers.

After checking the records, the officers found documentation of his name and alongside it the name of the friend who died in his place. The case was presented to Napoleon who, after examining the evidence, said, "Through a surrogate, this man has not only fought, but has died in his country's service. No man can die more than once, therefore the law has no claim on him."

And that's exactly what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did for you and me. He died in our place to pay the penalty for all our sins so we could be freely forgiven and given the gift of eternal life. When we accept God's pardon, we will never have to pay the price for our sins because Jesus did that for us. He died in our place. 

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

 

....winning

"He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth." (Psalm 96:13)

Does it seem that your unethical co-workers prosper? That you try to live according to God's ways and yet you are always overlooked? Taken advantage of?

Does it seem that the wicked prevail? And the righteous get stepped on? In your child's school, do the cheaters prosper? And the honest students get lower grades?

Do you wonder why some of the superstars who continually have brushes with the law are allowed to continue in their professions, making even more money in the process? Doesn't it seem useless at times to stand for God when those who live contrary to His will receive all the benefits and you don't?

Don't lose hope! Although it may seem that God is allowing people to get away with evil today, He is coming back! And He will judge all men, all women, and all children with equity. . . with righteousness. . . and according to His Truth, His standards! At that time, those who have been living contrary to God's Word and His ways will have to account for all their thoughts, decisions, and actions. God's judgments will "set things right," punishing the wicked, but helping and protecting those who have a relationship with Him (Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14; Revelation 20:12-13).

The next time that it seems that wrong is winning out, that the unethical prevail, and that evil has dominion over good. . . know that Jesus is coming back! He will exercise His divine kingship. . .He will judge . . . and the day will come when ""at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11)

-marji kruger

......banner

Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. - Exodus 17:15

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. God instructed Moses to stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. Moses' staff represented something that God said He would use to bring glory to Himself. The staff represented what Moses had done for most of his life - shepherding. It was his vocation. When God first called Moses at the burning bush, He told him to pick up the staff; He would perform miracles through it.

God wants to perform miracles through each of our vocations. At Rephidim, God defeated the Amalekites only when Moses held his staff to Heaven. It was a symbol of dependence and acknowledgment that Heaven was the source of the Israelites' power. When he dropped his hand, the power was removed and they began to lose the battle.

Each day we are challenged to reach toward Heaven and allow God to be the source of victory in the workplace or be defeated. God calls us to let His banner reign over the workplace so that others may know the source of our victory. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven' " (Ex. 17:14). The Lord wants those behind us and around us to know that He is the source of our power and success. With each victory is a testimony that is to be shared with our children and our associates.

Is the Lord your banner today? Reach toward Heaven today and let His banner wave over your work so that He might receive glory from your life.

-os hillman

motives

"He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me." - 2 Samuel 22:20

Questioning someone's motives for their activities can become an overriding response to those to whom we relate. Wrong motives can result in broken relationships, poor business decisions, and falling out of God's will. Sometimes we do not know the motive of another person. It is wrong for us to assume what their motive is until we have confidence that we know their intentions. When we respond or react prematurely, we become judge and jury over them.

God has a motive for every one of His children. His desire is to bring us into a spacious place. He wants us to go beyond our borders of safety and security so that we might experience life at a level that goes beyond ourselves.

What do you think of when you think of a "spacious place"? No limitations? A large, grassy field? Open air? These are positive images. Sometimes these spacious places encourage us to step out in faith into areas where we've never ventured. Sometimes we need to be rescued by the Lord. When Peter walked on the water, God was inviting him to a spacious place. He went beyond the borders of his boat and ventured into a whole new world. He didn't have complete success in his venturing out, but it was a process that would lead him to the next victory in his faith walk with Jesus.

Sometimes failure is what is needed in order to move us to the next level of faith with God. However, we must be willing to fail and let God rescue us.  The Lord delights in this process. His motive for His children is always love. It is always to bring us to a new level of trust and dependence on Him.

-os hillman

storm

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.  Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

"Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.  The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins.  The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors  were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and by grounding ourselves firmly in the Word of God. 

blood

What are you worth? Figuring out your worth or the worth of anything can be a difficult task. Allow me to give you an illustration.

Back when I was at seminary in Springfield, Illinois, I spent a fair amount of time wandering through the museums dedicated to Abraham Lincoln. At one of those museums, I saw a few square inches of silk.

Now silk can be an expensive cloth, but this bit of material is not for sale. Offer what you want, you can't buy it. Why? Well, its value is not because it was once part of a dress owned and worn by a young lady by the name of Clara Harris. Not one person in a hundred would be able to recognize Harris' name.

No, that silk has value because - the night Abraham Lincoln was assassinated - Clara Harris was sitting in the president's box with him. After Lincoln had been shot, she caught him and cradled his head in her lap. Like a mother might cradle her child, she held him.   And Harris' beautiful silk dress was stained by the blood of a great man. It is Lincoln's blood that caused the state of Illinois to buy that dress. It is Lincoln's blood that gives those square inches of silk their immense value.

This takes me back to the original question: what are you worth?

Some will say your body, broken down into its various base elements, is worth a few dollars. Justice will say you are, because of your sin, worth less than nothing. But the Heavenly Father has put a different value on you.

Because of His Son's life's blood poured out on Calvary's cruel cross, you have a different value. Because of Jesus' blood you are washed, you are forgiven and, with Holy Spirit-given faith, you are saved.  What are you worth? You were worth the life of God's Son: you were worth saving.

And for that we should give unending thanks to the Lord

-ken klaus